The Love Robbery
by HedwigOwl
Summary: Chapter 16 Hurt in Knockturn Alley is finally up! Please review! Thank you!
1. Ginny's Night

Chapter 1 Ginny's Night 

The night was cold, and dark clouds loomed across the sky. Drops of water were starting to pelt the ground. It had began to rain. 

In a small attic room, fifteen-year-old Virginia Weasley, or Ginny, as she was called by family and friends, sat huddled against the windowsill, staring at the water droplets that has started to form on the window. Her knees were brought up to her chest, and she hugged her thighs as if they were a teddy bear who could give comfort. Her expression was one of utmost loneliness, and her dark brown eyes, usually soft and warm, were lost in thought at the moment. 

Lost in thought. Of Harry and Ron, her brother and her friends in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But mostly about Harry. His dark messy hair. His boyish grin. Kind, handsome Harry. The Boy Who Lived. 

Ginny knew he would never liked her. She was plain old Ginny, "Ron's little sister". She had a crush on him ever since she saw him on Platform 9¾. He was asking directions, on how to get on to the platform. And when Ron came back from school, telling the family heroic tales of Harry defeating Lord Voldemort, her admiration and love for him grew. And when he saved her from Tom Riddle, from the Chamber of Secrets, he became her knight in shinning armor. 

She was teased by her brothers, especially Ron, over her crush on Harry. And she was ridiculed by the Slytherins in school too. Her own friends, from Gryffindor House, could not resist a teasing comment every now and then. 

But Ginny had no real confidante among her friends. After her experience with the Chamber of Secrets, she has become more withdrawn, and silent. Somehow, the episode affected her more deeply than anyone could imagined. She learned, from that horrifying experience, was that anyone can hurt her to achieve their own selfish end. 

Ginny sighed. I'm plain old, stuttering Ginny, she thought miserably. She hasn't notice that over the summer, she was starting to show promises of blossoming into a lovely young lady. Her soft brown eyes were large and soulful, and her hair had turned into a deep shade of scarlet. She was no longer pale, but had rosy tints in her skin. Her legs were long and shapely. And her body was slender but curvy in all the right places. Yes, Ginny would definitely be a lovely lady in time to come. But Ginny did not notice her own changes. 

She turned her eyes from the window, which was now wet with pelting raindrops, and climbed back to bed. Tomorrow would be the start of a new year in Hogwarts, and she would be able to see Harry again. 


	2. Back to Hogwarts

Chapter 2 Back to Hogwarts 

At Platform 9¾, Mrs Weasley was giving last-minutes hugs to her children. 

"Ron, are you sure you've got everything you need in your trunk?" asked Mrs Weasley again. 

"Yes, Mum, for goodness sake, I am not a first-year, neither am I Neville Longbottom. This is so insulting. I never see you ask Ginny." Ron replied. 

Ginny giggled. Neville Longbottom was Ron's schoolmate, in Gryffindor too, and famous for a forgetful memory. 

"Goodbye Ginny dear," smiled Mrs Weasley. "'Bye, Mum" waved Ginny. 

Ginny climbed into the train with Ron, and followed him into a train compartment where Harry and Hermione was in. 

"Hey, Harry! How was summer?" asked Ron. 

"As usual. Dudley, and the Dursleys, are as bad as ever. They are starting to suspect that my stories on Sirius ain't true. Guess I've used him as a threat once too often" grinned Harry. 

"Hi Ginny!" smiled Hermione. Harry give her a grin too. "Hi, Gin!". Ginny smiled back. _It felt so good to see him again. _

Harry and Ron started to discuss Quidditch, while Hermione roller her eyes at them, and turned her attention to Ginny. "How was summer, Ginny? What did you do?". 

"Erm, nothing much, just reading and er, the usual stuff,'' replied Ginny. Don't you have anything more interesting to say? 

"She's been shut up in her room most of the time, probably thinking of ways to open another Chamber of Secrets this year…" piped up Ron. 

"Ron Weasley, what an insensitive thing to say, and she's your sister!" scolded Hermione. By now, Ginny has turned red. Soon after, Ron and Hermione had started a friendly bicker of each other's faults, with Harry grinning and adding comments here and there. 

Ginny felt ignored. It was always the case. But it's nobody's fault but my own, she thought sadly. I just don't fit in somehow. 

For the rest of the trip, Ginny buried her nose into her Charms textbook. Charms was one of her favourite subjects. And she always had the habit of going through her textbooks before term starts. 

They arrive at the Hogwarts' Great Hall in the evening. Ginny found her place at the Gryffindor table, alongside with her classmates from fifth year. She sat down and turned her eyes to the teachers' table at the front of the Great Hall. 

Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, stood up and boomed "Welcome, students of Hogwarts. As usual, I would like to start the year by saying that the Forbidden Forest behind Hogwarts' grounds is very forbidden indeed, and students will do well to heed this. Before I begin the feast, I would like to announce the Prefects for this year. As you know, each year, we choose two sixth-year students from each House, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin to be prefects. Prefects are chosen based on nominations by the Head of House. The prefects this year are, from Gryffindor, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter….." 

There were cheers from the Gryffindor table and groans from the Slytherin table. 

"From Ravenclaw…" Ginny smiled. She knew Harry would be made Prefect. How could he not be. Her knight in shining armor. She turned to look at Ron. Ron was smiling and clapping hard. A few years ago, Ron would have been sore at not being made a Prefect. But Ron has grown out of his jealous need to live up to expectations set by Percy, Charlie, and Bill. Furthermore, Ron had known he would not be made a Prefect. Ron was going to be involved in a more important activity in Hogwarts this year. 

"From Slytherin, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini." 

Now, there were groans from the Gryffindor table. "The two worst of them" moaned Ron. 

Ginny turned her eyes to the Slytherin table. She saw Blaise whispering to Draco, whose expression was, as usual, emotionless. Suddenly, Draco looked up and for a moment and their eyes locked. Ginny turned scarlet, and quickly looked away. 

After the feast, the students went up to their respective dormitories. Ginny quickly changed into her nightdress, ignoring the chatter from the girls in the dormitory, and curled up on her soft four-poster bed. 


	3. Gryffindor Boys' Talk

Author's Note: Thank you to all those who gave me their reviews. Please keep them coming. Your reviews are most valued.

Chapter 3 Gryffindor Boys' Talk

     Over at the sixth-year Gryffindor boys' dormitory, Harry, Ron and the rest of their school mates were getting ready for bed.

     "I can't believe they actually made Malfoy and Zabini Prefects!" moaned Ron again. 

     "Not surprising, if you think about it" piped up Seamus Finningan, pulling a t-shirt over his head. "Malfoy is Snape's favourite ferret," Ron choked on hearing this, and Harry grinned. "and what's more, he's got the grades to cut it. Personality-wise, he's a true-blue Slytherin, or rather true-green, so he is the best Slytherin house representative."

     That was quite true. It's a known fact that Snape favours his Slytherins above other houses' students, but among the Slytherins, Snape seems to favour Draco the most. And Draco was one of the best students in Hogwarts at the moment. His first-year results had been disastrous. But surprisingly, from the second year onwards, his grades had improved tremendously. By the fourth year, he was almost always neck-to-neck with Hermione in all subjects except Transfiguration. No one though, could figure out why Draco started shinning in his classes. Gryffindor students seldom saw him, or other Slytherins, except during Potions class, or meal times, or along the corridors. Or Quidditch matches, where they try to "beat the bloody hell out of one another".

     "This year is going to be a busy one," said Harry to Ron. "With Quidditch training, and the try-outs for second-years, not to mention prefecting duties. Thank goodness we made our O.W.Ls.".

     "Let's not think about it right now," yawned Ron. "Yeah, O.W.Ls was a nightmare, but we lived through it. I am also a Boy-Who-Lived now. " He chuckled, and received a friendly punch in the chest from Harry.


	4. The Malfoy Heir

Author's Note (1): Thank you again for the reviews so far. Please keep them coming. They are my performance barometers.

Author's Note (2): I'm using Microsoft Word 2000 and I have not installed the grammar check feature. I will install it soon. In the meantime, I try my best to spot all spelling and grammer errors before publication. Alas, grammer is not one of my strong points, there might still be errors. My apologies.

Chapter 4 The Malfoy Heir

    Draco Malfoy snorted in irritation. That stupid house-elf had forgotten to pack his favourite robe! And after Draco had reminded him! Reminding house-elves was almost unheard of in the Malfoy household. House-elves do things right the first time round or else! 

    Draco ran a pale hand through his hair. At sixteen-years-old, Draco Malfoy was one of the best-looking students in Hogwarts. While Harry was warm and charming, Draco exudes aristocracy. His striking features, the result of generations of Malfoys that came before him, were framed by streaks of silver-blonde hair that came down to his eyes. His eyes. Those cold, grey eyes. Always expressionless, it gave nothing away. For Malfoys never show emotion, unless it was necessary. The act itself was a sign of weakness. Lucius Malfoy has taught his son well.

    After Draco's dismal first years results at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy decided to take Draco's upbringing into his own hands (instead of leaving it to the indulgent Narcissa) and had coldly issued threats of "demonstrating what happens to Malfoys who do not live up to expectations". Twelve-year-old Draco was afraid of his father, and was well-aware that his father is fully capable of executing his threats, son or no son. Henceforth, from his second year on, he worked hard. In the beginning, he cursed and sweared at the amount of time he had to sit at his desk and poured over school books when he could be out loafing. Draco, who was never forced to spend more time than necessary to study by his mother, found the experience torturing. He wasn't used to working hard for anything.

    Nevertheless, his hard work paid off and the grades improved by leaps and bounds. Draco continued to work hard each term, but the motivation was no longer just because of Lucius' threats. He still fear Lucius, of couse, but Draco was no longer the spoilt twelve-year-old that he was. On the contrary, he strive to shine _because_ he wanted more than anything in the world to please Lucius, to gain his approval. 

    Over the years, Draco had come to worship Lucius. He feared and respected his father, and the fear and respect only grew with time when Draco saw the tremendous amount of energy and time (which Lucius had very little) to educate and train Draco himself. Lucius was cold and demanding, and rarely gave praises. He imparted to Draco duelling arts, dark magic and most importantly, the art of power acquisition. From Lucius' harsh demands of him, Draco sensed only his father's love for the Malfoy Clan, and Lucius' burning desire for him to excel so that he could one day succeed him as the next Malfoy Lord. For that, Draco hero-worshipped Lucius.

    But now, our Malfoy heir was not thinking about his father expectations of him. He had a more mundane task to see to. He dipped his quill into a bottle of ink and started writing a piece of parchment to his house-elf, demanding for his favourite robe. He peppered the parchment with a few death threats to further scare the house-elf and tied the parchment to his eagle owl. The owl gave a sharp hoot and took off into the night.

"Incompetent elf" Draco thought. Still, he couldn't complain much. This house elf was a gift from Zabini's father to Lucius Malfoy. After Lucius had carelessly freed Dobby ("Damn Potter!", fumed Draco), the Malfoys were left with three house-elves. Zabini's father had taken the opportunity to present a house-elf to the Malfoys. An effort to further lick Lucius' boots, of course. Although the Zabinis were wealthier than the Malfoys ("By only a few more million galleons!" thought Draco) Lucius was the centre of power after the Dark Lord himself. No one could command more obedience or fear from anyone than Lucius Malfoy, except for the Dark Lord. Not even the Minister of Magic, the vain, porky Cornelius Fudge, whom Lucius had eating out of his hand.

       Draco turned and flip the blankets off his four-poster bed. It was good being a Prefect. You get your own room, and very well-furnished at that, although it's still a far cry from his room in Malfoy Manor.

       Draco flopped down onto the bed and fell asleep, dreaming of taking points off Gryffindor when he officially commence Prefect duties tomorrow.


	5. In the Prefects' Room

Chapter 5 In the Prefects' Room

    Draco sauntered down to the Prefects' room after breakfast. Today Joshua Flinch, the Head Boy, is having a briefing for the new Prefects. Joshua Flinch is from Ravenclaw.

    Hermione and Harry were already there when Draco stepped in. He looked coldly at them and turned to face Joshua. Hermione looked down at her parchment notebook and Harry ignored him.

    "All right, welcome new Prefects. As you all know, being a Prefect is a great honour bestowed to us all, and with it comes responsibility. All Prefects are responsible, to a certain extent, not only for the well-being of their own houses, but the whole school as well, and are to partake in Prefect duties such as patrolling the grounds of Hogwarts after 10pm to ensure that no students are roaming around, and …"

    Harry glanced out of the corner of his eye at Hermione, who was furiously scribbling notes on a piece of parchment. He saw Draco looking at Hermione, rolling his eyes, with a look of contempt on his pale face. Harry turned back to face Joshua. 

    "I hope that's clear. Now, here are your duty rosters. If there are any clashes between your duties with your classes, or if you wish to swap duties, please come to me first."

    Draco took his roster parchment from Joshua. _What!_ Patrolling the grounds of Hogwarts 4 nights per week, including Saturdays. Staying back on Saturday mornings to take attendance for students visiting Hogsmeade and coming back before 7pm to take attendance again. Suddenly, being a Prefect doesn't seem so much fun, especially when Draco likes to hang around at Hogsmeade as late as he can. Well, he still has the point-taking rights to look forward to.

    "Any Prefects caught abusing their rights will be suspended, and any unjustified point-taking from houses by Prefects will be viewed as a breach of rights." warned Joshua. Shucks, thought Draco. He would have to watch it, then.


	6. A Collision and an Unexpected Kiss

Chapter 6 A Collision and an Unexpected Kiss

    Ginny gathered up her books and hurried out of the library. It was getting late, and she has to be back in the Gryffindor dormitory by ten o' clock. She nodded to Madam Pince with a smile that said "Goodnight" and walked down the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower.

    Ginny felt very accomplished. She'd finished her Charms essay, a particularly difficult one, but Ginny had enjoyed the challenge. She also found time to decipher a Potion ingredients list which Snape has given as homework, and Ginny felt quite confident that she had got it almost right. Potions was not one of her strongest subject, but she'd spent quite a bit of effort on this one. Hm, what if Snape purposely put the Unicorn's horn as a decoy ingredient? Yes, that could be a possibility to trick the students into thinking…

    "Interesting, a little weasel on the loose tonight" came a familiar drawl. Ginny was suddenly jotted out of her thoughts and she turned around to face the cold, grey eyes of Draco Malfoy, his Prefect's badge glistening in the light.

    "I…I…" Ginny stuttered.

    "What's the matter, Weasel? Can't you afford to speak? I didn't know you are that sunk into poverty." Draco's cold grey eyes looked menacingly at her, and there was the trademark smirk on his face.

    "What do you want?" Ginny said finally, at the same time forcing herself to look at him straight in the eye.

    "Knowning that all students should be back in their dormitories by this time, I myself liked to know why you are roaming around at this forbidden hour." 

    "I..I was about to to go back to my dormitory, and…it's not quite time yet." Ginny braced herself.

    "Is that so?" Draco brought a finger up to his chest, underneath his robes, and drew out a silver pocket watch. The pocket watch dangled from Draco's finger in front of Ginny's eyes. It showed five minutes after ten.

    Draco looked at Ginny expectantly. Ginny's hair shone softly under the light from the flame torch on the stone walls. Her features, he noticed, were beautiful, and her dark brown eyes looked back at him a touch of vulnerable innocence. Bloody hell, since when did the baby Weasel grown to be so drop-dead gorgeous?

    "Er, I was quite sure I left the Library at a quarter to ten" muttered Ginny with a puzzled voice. "Perhaps your watch's time is faster than that of the Library's clock."

    Draco certainly hasn't expected this. You are quick, Weasel, and close, he found himself thinking. He had silently muttered a spell to adjust the timing of his pocket watch ahead by seven minutes when he saw Ginny walking down the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower. He thought this would be a good opportunity to take some points off Gryffindor. After all, a Slytherin needs to do what a Slytherin needs to do in order to win the House Cup this year. Or at least, make sure the blasted Gryffindors don't.

    But Draco did not have the chance to retort. For at that moment, the staircase which Ginny and Draco was standing on has chosen to move itself ninety degrees to the right. It swung so fast that Ginny momentarily lost her balance and fell towards Draco. 

    Draco's hand reached for the banister to balance himself but before he could reach it, Ginny fell on him, pushing him to the ground with a loud thud! Her face fell onto him, and her lips smacked into his! Draco's back was banged hard against the ground before the staircase mercifully halted.

    Draco felt Ginny's sweet lips on his mouth. Her soft body was pressed on his. And he detected a light apple scent. The atmosphere came to a stand still. Ginny's large brown eyes were blinking into Draco's grey ones, wide-open with a stunned expression on them. 

    Ginny suddenly regained her composure, and lifted her head from his face. She put her hands on his chest and tried to detach herself from Draco. 

    "Get off me, Weasel" came Draco's voice.

    "Erm, I'm trying to, but…but, you…" Ginny sounded desperate.

    Suddenly, Draco realised, to his horror, that he was holding her tightly by the waist. He let go of his hand in a lightning flash. Ginny stood up, still blushing furiously, and she quickly bend down and muttered a charm to gather her books and parchment rolls which was scattered around the staircase. Draco, by now, had stood up and was brushing his robes with his hands, as if Ginny had dirtied them.

    Draco hurriedly decided on his next move. He was not one to be caught in an awkward situation. Suddenly, he didn't feel like finding fault with her. He decided the best way was to get her away from him.

    "You may go" he said, as if he was speaking to his house-elf.  "Ten points off Gryffindor the next time it happens".

    He saw Ginny turned around and scurried down the stairs as quickly as she can, clutching her books.


	7. It had to be a Malfoy

Chapter 7 It Had to be a Malfoy

    Ginny ran back to Gryffindor Tower and stopped in front of the Fat Lady's potrait. "Sugar lumps" she panted, and went through the potrait hole.

    "Ginny! Where you've been?" asked Ron, who had just defeated Harry again in another game of wizard's chess.

    "Library…" muttered Ginny. Her face was flushed and she looked shaken.

    "Hey, you ok?" asked Harry with a concerned look. "We saved some butter beer for you." 

    "Er, no thanks, I'm…I'm kind of tired, er, going to turn in soon." Ginny looked anything but tired, her eyes were usually bright, and she looked thrown off balance.

    "Wonder what's up with her?" Ron said puzzledly, as he was Ginny climed up the stairway leading to the girls' dormitory.

    Ginny reached her dormitory and flopped down onto her bed. "Merlin, I can't believe…my first kiss…oh, no, I must be out of my mind."

    Ginny's mind drifted back to the encounter with Draco a while ago. He had caught her when she fell forward, and she had felt his hand on her waist, and her lips on his. She couldn't describe the sensation. It felt startling, and very sweet.

    Ginny had never been kiss by a guy before, well, except for her father and brothers.

    "But this is Malfoy, and to think my first kiss was given to a Malfoy!. It should have been Harry!" she thought dismally. But ah, you liked it, said her subconsicous slyly. _And isn't he cute, Ginny, with those silver-blonde hair falling over his eyes when he fell?_

    "That's not true!" Ginny shouted. Her mind suddenly drifted back to the moment when she had been staring at those grey eyes, which had been wide-opened with what Ginny guessed had been shock. Suddenly, she giggled. She didn't know why, but the thought of Draco Malfoy with messy hair and a shock expression tickled her. And then she broke out into a chuckle.

    "Oh well, he'll probably taunt me when I cross his path. Of all people, it had to be a Malfoy! Just my luck. That arrogant git!" groaned Ginny inwardly. She hoped morning will never come.


	8. Taking It Out on Ginny

Chapter 8 Taking It Out on Ginny

    "I have finished grading your last assignment! This one was particularly difficult, but many of you had made commendable efforts! " barked Alastor Moody, Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. "Please review my comments. And remember, CONSTANT VIGILANCE! Class dismissed!" 

    There was a scramble as students grabbed their individual assignments (which had magically appeared on their desks) and tumbled out of the classroom.

    "Mr Malfoy, I want a word!" barked Professor Moody again. Draco stopped in his tracks and frowned. What did the old dingbat want with him this time? 

    "Yes, Professor?" Draco asked with a wary politeness. He did not like Alastor Moody. He always felt that Alastor Moody could see right through him dabbling in the Dark Arts (even though he did it in the privacy of Malfoy Manor). Nevertheless, he was polite to him, and Professor Moody had always scored Draco well in his classes. 

    "Your assignment" Professor Moody begin. 

    "I hope I haven't done too badly?" Draco held up his parchment which had received ninety-eight out marks out of one hundred marks.

    "Your assignment" said Professor Moody again, "is excellent, as usual. You topped your class for this one, and also among your fellow students in my other class."

    "Why thank you, Professor"

    "However, this assignment will not count towards your grades...." Professor Moody's third eye was peering into Draco's cold grey ones.

    "And why not?" Draco almost sneered.

    "This is a Defence Against the Dark Arts assignment, and you can understand that I cannot accept a student's work which proposes countering the one dark curse with another dark magic."

    "What?" Draco looked down at his parchment. Realization dawned on him. 

    "In one of your propositions, you mentioned the use of the Revoltus charm to counter the Venomosis Curse. The Revoltus charm is a piece of dark magic, and a very old one at that. I am surprised a student at your level knows about it. Not many adult wizards at this present age has even heard about it " Professor Moody's eye was glistening dangerously.

    "I, er, I read this in a book from the Restricted section of the Library before, er...for my last assignment on Dark Charms, and and I must have accidentally...I didn't think." Draco managed to cough out what he hoped desperately was a good explanation.

    "Yes, that must be it." Professor Moody's eye was still glistening dangerously. "Would you then care to re-do this assignment using more orthodox means?"

    "Yes, of course. I apologize for my oversight, Professor. I was too enthusiatic to write down all I know."

    "Knowledge is always good, but we must choose what we do with our knowledge, yes? Good, then I would expect a new parchment first thing on Friday morning." 

    "Yes."

    "You may go, Mr Malfoy, and CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" 

    "Thank you, Professor" Must he always say that? Draco thought exasperatedly. He nodded his head to Professor Moody and went out of the clasroom, feeling Professor Moody's third eye on his back.

    He felt like kicking himself! Of all the bloody carelessness! 

    He had read about the Revoltus Charm in one of the many books on dark magic which resides in his father's secret Library. He was fascinated by it. But when he was doing his assignment, his mind had drifted somewhere else, to a certain someone, and he had completely forgotten that the Revoltus Charm is dark magic and had blindly written it down on his parchment without thinking.

    Father would be disappointed, Draco thought darkly. A Malfoy should always cover their tracks well, and never to be caught like this. This is unforgivable. Stupid, stupid me! He cursed and sweared at himself before resolving never to let it happen again. Never, never, he vowed with a vengance.

    Draco was still cursing at himself when he bumped into Ginny at the corridor. She was turning at a bend, when she walked straight into Draco.

    Draco stumbled backwards, and saw Ginny. "That wretched weasel! It's all her fault! If it wasn't for her…" he thought darkly. 

    "Watch it, Weasley!" snapped Draco. "Desperate to throw yourself at me these days, don't you?" He was feeling particularly vindictive, after the episode with Alastor Moody.

    Ginny was annoyed at the sudden outburst. After the embarrassing incident, she had managed to stay out of his way so far. Now, finally, they had to meet.

    "Not in the least. I rather throw myself into a pool of mud rather than you!" she retorted back.

    "Ah, I forgot, you are a mudblood lover. No wonder, I can understand." He sneered. 

    "Go away" she tried to push past him.

    "You are the one who has repeatedly cross my path. Typical Weasley. Showing up when they're not wanted. Pathetic! Scram off!"

    Ginny felt hurt. Somehow, Malfoy's words hurt her. It must have shown on her face, for Malfoy's expression soften slightly, before Ginny pushed past him, tears stinging her eyes. 

Author's Note (30 December 2002): The new year is coming, and I am going to be very busy in 2003. I dread to think about it. As a form of courtesy to my readers, I like to mention that I might not be updating this story as frequently. But I definitely finish it! Please be patient with me. I am targetting for one to two additional chapters a month. This story would end by chapter 15 (approximately) and I hope to post it by September 2003, before JK Rowling's new book "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is out. This is because I have heard rumours that Ginny might die in Book 5. I originally plan to do a sequel for Shades of Grey as well, depending on the reviews I get but if Ginny dies, it is no longer meaningful to do one. I hope that Ginny doesn't die in Book 5. Happy New Year to everyone!


	9. Slytherins' Taunting

Author's Note: Chapter 9 is finally up. Sorry for the change in title. I might change it again, though. Please keep the reviews coming. Please do! Thank you very much.

Chapter 9Slytherins' Taunting

Draco watched her as Ginny pushed past him, with tears brimming in her eyes. Strangely, Draco felt just a slight moment of regret at having taking out his annoyance with himself at her. But then, he sneered. She's a crybaby Weasley, and she can howl for all she likes.

"Who cares?" he said out loud. She is nothing! She is a pathetic, poor, lowly, gorgeous Weasel? He mentally slapped himself. The truth is, Draco could hardly get Ginny Weasley out of his mind since their encounter at the stairways the other night. She was so alluring, and her scarlet hair looked so inviting, he was dying to run his fingers through it. Her hair reminded Draco of the warm fireplace in Narcissa's drawing room he used to sit in front of when he was little, with Narcissa beside him, playing with his hair.

Draco sulked. No girl had ever been able to distract him like that. Why hadn't he notice her before?"But she is a Weasley!" his dark side reminded him. "But she is so soft and warm, and those eyes…" his light side piped up.

"Enough!" he held he hands to his ears, scowling. You are a Slytherin remember? You don't like red-headed Gryffindors.

He turned his mind back to his parchment, and went through his final draft (he was re-doing Moody's assignment) one last time, before pronoucing satisfaction, and close his book.

He suddenly looked in front of him in amazement. In his fevour to to check all his proposed counter-charms and counter-curses in his assignment (to make sure they are not classified in any way as dark magic), he had pulled out at least fifteen books from the library shelves. They now lay all over the table.

"Returno" he muttered, as the books flew back to their original position in their respective shelves.

Draco scooped up his books and parchments and strutted out of the library. He's on his way for his next class, double Potions with the Gryffindors.

Draco was early, but he already had spotted Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe and a few of the Slytherins in the classroom. He took a seat among them and threw his books on the table carelessly.

"Hey Draco, see this!" Crabbe grinned excitedly. Draco caught the roll of parchment that Crabbe has toss at him, and read:

_Hogwarts Gala Charity Ball_

_In an effort to raise funds for St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, our school has decided to organize a Gala Charity Ball for all students. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to St Mungo's..._

Draco rolled his eyes. Trust Crabbe to be so excited about something as childish as a gala ball! Hell, he's been to loads of them to last him a lifetime. Mostly under the invitation of the Fudge, or Zabini or Parkinson families. 

He sneered at Crabbe "So, what about this?" 

Crabbe said, "Read on, you haven't got to the interesting part." And then Draco thought he saw a slight tinge of red on Crabbe's usually fat face.

Draco turned his attention back to the parchment.

_…in a move to encourage better interaction among Hogwarts students, the school will be pairing up students from different houses as dance partners to the Gala Charity Ball. Students will only know their dance partners on the night of the ball._

So, Crabbe thought it's a good opportunity for him to snarl a girl, eh? Well, it saved Draco the trouble of getting a date. Not that it took any effort. Any girl would drop at the snap of his fingers to walk with him to the Great Hall for breakfast, let alone a ball.

By this time, the rest of the students had started to stream into the classroom. Draco saw Harry and Ron reading the very same piece of news on the Gala Charity ball. 

"Well, Crabbe, no matter who they pair you up with, please say your prayers the night before that they do not pair you up with any mudblood Gryffindors" Draco said rather loudly.

Harry and Ron looked up at Draco, furious looks on their faces. Hermione looked down on her book, ignoring Draco.

"Yes Potter? I see you and side-kick Weasley have something to say?"

"Shove it, Malfoy" Harry replied. 

Draco smirked. It was so easy to taunt Harry. He really, truly does enjoy it. Really. 

"Hey Weasley, I beg to differ from Malfoy. I would love to be paired up with that cute little sister of yours…" Morag MacDougal grinned wickedly.

Draco turned and looked at MacDougal. _So I'm not the only person who has started to notice Virginia Weasley._

Ron gritted his teeth. "Leave my sister alone, or I swear I would have that stupid head of yours stuffed down the lavatory before you can say the name Weasley." 

"Ginny is too good for you, MacDougal. Get someone at your own kind." Harry shot back. 

"Oh, Potter being protective. I remember now, doesn't she have some kind of a crush on you? She sent you a singing valentine in our second year" MacDougal said slyly.

Harry turned red. "Leave Ginny out of this."

Suddenly, the classroom door banged and Snape swept into the room, his face in a sneer.

The class quietened down. MacDougal flashed a wicked grin at Harry and Ron and did a victory sign in Draco's direction. Slytherin won this round.


	10. Liasion at the Lake

Author's Note: Doesn't anyone like (or dislike) my story enough to review?

Chapter 10 Liasion at the Lake

    "Here you are" Ginny held out a piece of fruit to a large brown owl. It gave a grateful hoot to the girl and gobbled down the fruit.

    Ginny reached into the brown paper bag for another fruit and offered it to the next owl, a small grey one. She was feeding the school owls their afternoon titbit. Ginny has volunteered to help Hagrid (who was, besides teaching Care of Magical Creatures, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts) to feed the school owls this afternoon. It was an easy job, all she had to do was to give out their titbits and checked on the well-being of the owls. This means examining their eyes and feathers for injuries, illness or owl fatigue.

    She finished her last titbit and crumpled up her paper bag. She walked around the Owlery, and begin to ruffle the features of the owls. Satisfied, she pulled off her gloves and hang them on the wall hook, before walking out of the Owlery towards the lake.

    The lake was a picture of serenity. Ginny chose a patch of grass close to the shore of the lake and sat down. She closed her eyes, feeling the rustle of the gentle breeze, and the stillness of the lake………

    There was a sound and Ginny opened her eyes. A ripple was forming on the lake. 

    "Dreaming about that Potter again, Weasel?" Ginny instantly recognize that voice. She turned and looked up, and saw Draco Malfoy leaning lazily against an oak tree, with several pebbles in his hand.

    Ginny blushed. She has been thinking a lot about Draco Malfoy ever since their accidental kiss at the stairways. However, a part of her was still smarting over Draco's hurtful comments the other day. "What do you want, again?" asked Ginny in a defensive tone. She hoped he could not see her blush. 

    "Such hostility, Weasley. After all, I did spared you from detention last week, when I caught you sneaking around the castle" Draco replied slyly.

    "That's not true! That is..is an outright slander. I was not sneaking around, and…you know it." Ginny was suddenly overcome with indignation, but still spluttered over her words. 

    "Temper, Weasley. My, you certainly have inherited the famous Weasley temper. Be thankful though, this could be the only inheritance you can claim from that family of yours."

    Ginny snapped. She was a silent and withdrawn person most of the time, and she usually ignore those who taunts her. But no one insults her loved ones in front of her.

    "At least I have a family I can be proud of. Unlike some others, Ferret Malfoy." she thought. But she did not say that to Draco. Somehow, she didn't dare. So she said simply "My family is better than yours anyday."

    "How could that ever possibly be, Weasley?" Draco suddenly chuckled. Ginny looked up in surprise. First, she had never seen Draco laugh before, and second, he was really laughing as if she had told a really good joke, or made a really ridiculous statement. 

    "So the little Weasel has finally grown a backbone. Interesting." Draco stopped chuckling and his grey eyes looked deeply into Ginny's brown ones.

    Ginny gulped. She had no idea where this was leading to. In spite of herself, she found her eyes observing Draco. She had heard other girls raved about the good looks of Draco Malfoy, but now she finally understood why. Draco Malfoy has the intensity of good looks and a commanding presence. Such a combination was hard to come by. He was a stark contrast to the spoilt cowardly boy Ginny had remembered him as. Ginny wondered what could caused such a drastic change

    While Ginny was thinking about him, Draco himself was scrutinizing Ginny. He didn't know what made him approached her. As a Prefect, today was his turn to patrol the school grounds. He'd almost finished his designated perimeter when he saw Ginny walking from the Owlery towards the lake. She looked even more beautiful at this moment. Her scarlet hair was half-tied back, secured with a simple hair-clip, and her red curls framed her face, and innocent brown eyes. Today her eyes looked even more lonely. There is an air about her which speaks innocence and vulnerabilty. But there was something more. What was it, Draco could not quite put his finger to. Her physical beauty, although alluring, was not entirely why Draco was fascinated with her. Draco has seen pretty girls in Slytherin and Durmstrang and dated a few. It was that something else that Draco was attracted to. He did not quite understand it. He didn't like it. It was not familiar to him.

    "Have you quite finished staring at me?" Ginny asked, rather hesistantly.

    "Why are you moping here? Where's your Dream Team?" Draco asked finally.

    "I wasn't part of them, never was."

    An awkward silence. 

    "So the little Weasel is lonely, so she came here to wallop in misery."

    "No, I happen to enjoy solitude." She turned her back from her and faced the lake.

    "Face me when you speak, Weasley." Draco's voice came in a commanding tone. No one turns their back on a Malfoy.

    "I…don't want to, you…are mean to me." Ginny replied stubbornly, but hesistantingly.

    "About what I said the other day?" Why Weasley, I didn't know I could have affected you that much." 

    "No, I…" Ginny blushed again. Merlin, she blushes easily, and she looks even more lovely.

    "So, are you going to the Charity Ball?" 

    Ginny looked up at him. She shook her head miserably. She had wanted to go to the ball. Like all girls, she love balls. But the ticket would cost her, not to mention that she does not have a decent dress robes. She would have to get one and that would mean more money.

    "No money, Weasley?"

    Ginny blushed again. There was no denying. "I don't really like balls, anyway."

    "Liar." Draco said softly.

    "So what if I am lying. It is not your business." 

    "Would you like to go to the ball, Weasel?"

    "Why do you care?" Ginny said quickly.

    "You're right, I don't." Draco smiled wickedley.

    Ginny sighed. She'd kind of expect this reaction sooner or later.

    Suddenly, an owl swop down from the sky and crashed onto the grass. Ginny recognized it as Errol, their family owl. "Oh, Errol!" she quickly scooped him up.

    Errol had delivered a parcel for Ginny, and a pink envelope. Errol panted. He really was getting old. And trips like this tire him easily.

    Ginny tried to take the envelope, but when she touched it, the envelope burst into tiny little butterflies, forming the words "Happy Birthday Ginny Love".

    Ginny smiled. It must be from her mother. 

    "It's my birthday today……" she smiled at Draco, and seem to quite forgetting for a moment that Draco was her brother's sworn enemy and had made nasty comments about her days ago.

    Draco was surprised at how quickly Ginny had forgotten his teasing earlier and smiled so readily at him. She really is an innocent.

    He watched her as she opened her present. A heavy tin of jam tarts and a pretty hair clip fell out of the parcel. He watched as she smiled again, obviously in bliss over her modest gifts.

    He turned and tried to walk away, and was surprised when Ginny suddenly said "oh, you are leaving?"

    "Isn't it obvious, Weasley?"

    "I……" Did Ginny sounded disappointed?

    He saw her bend her head down and pretend to play with the hair clip.

    He turned around again and walked away, not once looking back at her.

    _NIGHTFALL……_

    When Ginny went back to her dormitory that night, she saw a large parcel lying on her bed. She drew her curtains so that her bed is out of sight from the girls who were streaming in. Still puzzled, she unwrapped the parcel and gave a small gasp. A most beautiful silver box appeared. With trembling fingers, she untied the silver ribbon around the box and lifed the most magnificent ball gown she has seen. It was silver-beige, strapless and had crystals scattered over it. It sparkled ever so softly at Ginny.

    Ginny gasped. The gown was magical. Who had sent it to her? She looked down at the box again and saw a card tied to what was a ticket to the ball. The card had no sender's name on it. It simply said "To Scarlet."

Author's Note: Please review. Doesn't anyone like my story? I have not had any reviews for quite some time. Please tell me what do you think……


	11. The Realization

Author's Note: Thank you, thank you very much to all who reviewed. I am much encouraged. You guys are the greatest! You know who you are, Myrttle, hypermonkey67, B. Maude, maranwe, August, FlamingElf, Mandy-Love14 and leaf. Thank you again. Thank you. Thank you. I hope you liked this chapter too.

Author's Note (2): This chapter is re-posted. I've made some slight modifications to the last part of chapter, as I felt the words I used in my previous version doesn't describe Ginny's feelings as well as I would like it to be.

Chapter 12 The Gala Charity Ball

    When Ginny Weasley walked down to breakfast the next day, her mind was still thinking "Please let him be the sender……please."

    But Ginny knew it was  wishful thinking. Her emotional heart wanted it to be him. Her logical mind told her it was a remote possibility. How could Draco Malfoy be the one who sent her the ball gown and ticket? How could he be nice to HER? He was always so mean, and intimidating. It was almost impossible to see anyone in Slytherin, especially Draco Malfoy, son of Lord Lucius Malfoy and heir to the Malfoy financial empire, be nice to another person if there was no benefit to be reap from it. Once, Ginny had heard her father speak of how the Malfoys had acquired and expanded their financial empire. It certainly was not through being nice and friendly to everyone. In the ancient times, when wizarding law was not enforced, the Malfoys had built their financial empire on the bone and blood of their enemies. In recent times, it was through cold and calculative planning and ruthless execution to takeover wizarding trades who could contribute more galleons to the Malfoy vault. They had wealth, and they used their wealth to acquire power, and power to acquire more wealth. "Bad blood" her father had said, which was what Hagird had said before too

    Ginny shook her head. She was getting mental. She has been thinking about Draco Malfoy all night and thoughts and feelings, no, to be more precise, confusing thoughts & unfamiliar feelings were churning inside of her. She stole a glance at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was speaking to Morag MacDougal, who had a wicked grin on his face. Draco's eyes were cold, but she thought she could see a flicker in those eyes. But it was gone just as quickly. Draco suddenly looked up at her and for a moment in time, their eyes freeze onto each other. Ginny pulled herself away from his gaze and walked to her own table with as much pride as she could muster.

    She didn't eat much breakfast. Harry, for once, seemed to notice that Ginny was becoming more quiet than usual. 

    "Hm, Ginny? Are you alright?" Harry asked her, with concern in his eyes.

    "Huh? Oh, I'm fine, Harry." Ginny muttered, not looking at him. 

    "Are you sure? You look kind of, hm, lost, Gin." 

    No answer.

    "Sorry, Ginny, I didn't mean……I was just worried."

    "It's alright Harry, thank you for your concern."

    Ginny stared at Harry. She stared very deeply into Harry. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she had this very strong urge to want to look into his eyes, and tell herself that she loved Harry Potter. That she had always loved Harry Potter, and it was no different now. She didn'_t _know why she thought this was important _now_. Somehow, loving Harry Potter was important. Being in love _still_ with Harry Potter was very important.

    But at that moment, at the breakfast table, looking into those kind green eyes, it suddenly dawned on her. She was no longer in love with Harry Potter. She was no longer in love with The-Boy-Who-Lived.

    She was in love with someone else. And it was scaring the living daylights out of her.

    Ginny was horrified. She bolted up from the Gryffindor table and ran through the door. "Ginny!" Harry called.

    The students looked up, amazed at the commotion. "What the……" Ron choked on his scrambled eggs.

    Over at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy watched as Ginny ran out of the Great Hall. There was a flicker in those cold grey eyes again. The flicker that Ginny should have caught it with her eye. A _malicious_ flicker.

    IN THE CORRIDORS……

    Ginny ran out onto the corridors. She tried to breathe. But it seems that every breathe she takes was choking her. She wanted to cry. "What's happening to me? Why am I like this? I was alright yesterday."

    But deep down in her heart, she knew what was wrong. Her mind went back to last night, when she first unwrapped the parcel. The ball gown had taken her breath away. And her intuition had told her exactly who had sent it. Draco Malfoy. But it was impossible. Draco Malfoy being nice to her. Why should he? She was plain, old, stuttering Ginny, she kept reminding herself. It was a beautiful gift, definitely. It was an expensive gift, of course. But more than that, it was a gift which fulfil her girlish desire, and the fact that her desire was important enough for someone to care and make the effort to realize it for her, _touched_ her. It touched her deeply. Virginia Weasley, who had been ignored most of her life, was important enough to someone, for someone to ensure that she has her dream realized.

    It reminded her of Tom Riddle. The boy who cared enough to listen to her pouring out all her troubles into the diary. Of course, Tom did that for his own murderous objective. But during the time when Ginny was confiding in the diary, it had been one of the best periods of her life. She had a secret, and she had a friend, someone who cared for her. Or so she thought. But what did Draco Malfoy wanted from her? She had nothing that he wanted. She was a Gryffindor, and Draco Malfoy, like all Slytherins, despised Gryffindors.  

    Her mind was confused. But not so confused that she doesn't know she was slowly falling in love with him. She admit that. She doesn't know why. Because he was good-looking, Because he was the first guy she kissed. Because his gift touched her. Because he was so different. Because he was elite-born. Because he was so un-Gryffindor. Or because he reminded her of Tom Riddle?

    Ginny doesn't know. Draco Malfoy is a confusing, attractive concoction. It was a dangerous concoction, for a young, vulnerable girl like Ginny Weasley. Very dangerous indeed. And Ginny is terrified.


	12. The Gala Charity Ball

Author's Note: All the characters are taken out of JK Rowling's first book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone / Or Socerer's Stone (there are two titles to the first book, UK version or US version). I took their names from the chapter "The Sorting Hat". I did not create any of the characters. I don't like to create new characters. I try to stick strictly to JK Rowling's characterization.

Chapter 12 The Gala Charity Ball

    The whole school was abuzzed with excitement. Tonight is the Gala Charity Ball. The response to the ball was overwhelming, and tickets were all sold out. 

    Ginny went back to her dormitory early to prepare for the ball. Her dormitory was packed with giggling girls getting ready to dress their best. Some were doing makeup for one another. Others pleaded for help with their hair, using magic, of course. Ginny Weasley stood among them, hesistating. She hadn't told anyone she would be going to the ball. Harry and Hermione had offered to buy tickets for her and Ron. Ginny declined while Ron gratefully accepted. Ginny decided that she would wait until everyone had left for the ball before getting dressed. She didn't want awkward questions on how she got her ball gown. She would think of a good excuse somehow after the ball. But for now, she wanted to be left alone to enjoy dressing up for the ball.

    When everyone in the dormitory had left (and no one asked Ginny, as they all assumed that she would not be going), Ginny excitedly pulled out her beautiful silver-beige gown and placed it carefully on her bed. She had taken a shower and there was a sweet apple scent about her, from the bathing foam she had used. Ginny muttered a spell and her hair was transformed into a "Sweet Angel's Look", a hairstyle which Ginny  saw in Witch Weekly (a borrowed copy, of course) just the other week. Her makeup was light and soft. She put on the gown and gave a relieved sigh. It fitted her perfectly. Ginny examined her reflection in the mirror one last time before heading down to the stairways.

    All students were to assemble at the top of two grand stairways leading down to the Great Hall. Boys on one side of the stairway and girls on the other. Names of the students to be paired up will be read out, and the boy and girl will descend from their respective stairways and meet halfway. The boy will then lead his partner down to the Great Hall.

    "Ron Weasley from Gryffindor and Padma Patil from Ravenclaw!"

    "Harry Potter from Gryffindor and Susan Bones from Hufflepuff!"

    "Vincent Crabbe from Slytherin and Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw!"

    "Terry Boot from Ravenclaw and Hermione Granger from Gryffindor!"

    Ginny ran as fast as she could to the top of girls' stairways. She hoped her name had not been read out yet. There was only girl, Lavender Brown standing at the top of the stairways now, the rest of the girls had all been paired up……

    "Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff and Lavendar Brown from Gryffindor!" Lavender parted the velvet curtain and stepped out onto the stairways. 

    And then Ginny Weasley heard what she thought could never be possible.

    "Draco Malfoy from Slytherin and Virginia Weasley from Gryffindor!"

    Ginny froze for a second. Him? She was suddenly rooted to the ground. She couldn't move. 

    Down below, at the Great Hall, students gasped. So far, there had been no Gryffindor-Slytherin pairing. No one thought it was remotely possible, anyway. The students of both houses disliked one another so intensely that everyone assumed that such a pairing is extremely unlikely at the ball.

    Ginny took a deep breath and parted the velvet curtain with a beautifully-manicured hand. She stood at one end of the stairways and looked straight across.

    Draco Malfoy was dressed in expensive black velvet robes, and his silver-blond brought out the sheen in the black velvet. He looked every bit the highborn that he was. Ginny, in spite of her nervousness, took in the aristocratic features, the silver-blond hair, and especially……the intense grey eyes.

    Ginny glided slowly down the staircase. She felt hundred of eyes following her and Draco as they came down. Draco's gaze was fixed on her, his eyes never leaving her. His face was expressionless. When they reached halfway,  his hand reached out to her. "May I?" he asked.

    Ginny placed her trembling hand in his. Draco's hand was cold, but his grip was strong, yet unfeeling. She was amazed at how his grip had such a calming effect on hers. It had stopped trembling. She allowed him to guide her down to the Great Hall, which was lit with a thousand candles, and looked postively magical. 

    Ginny Weasley had never looked more beautiful. She was easily the most gorgeous girl in the Great Hall tonight. When she and Draco came down to the dance floor of the Great Hall, she felt both admiring glances from the boys and jealous looks from some of the girls, especially the Slytherins.

    Professor Dumbledore's delighted voice boomed across the Great Hall "Let the dance begin!"

    A melodious tune lit up from nowhere. Draco placed his hand on Ginny's waist and Ginny's hand on his shoulder and they begin to dance. Her large brown eyes looked up at him, wondering if she is doing alright. His gaze was still fixed on her. "You looked very beautiful, Virginia." Ginny was startled. Draco had never called her Virginia, or even Ginny, for that matter, before. 

    "Thank you." she blushed, and that signature color came to her cheeks again. And for the first time in her life, Ginny saw a unpretentious smile on Draco Malfoy, at her. It took her breath away. He looked so handsome. 

    Ginny could feel eyes on the both of them. It seemed that Draco was aware of it too, for he suddenly pulled Ginny closer to him. Ginny thought she saw Ron's face clamping up when Draco did that. Years later Ginny Weasley would ponder what gave her the courage to do what she did at that moment. She placed her cheeks on Draco Malfoy's _shoulder_…… 

    Ginny thought she heard a gasp from the crowd. And she thought she sensed tension in Draco's body. But she did not care. She was cloud nine. No one would steal this moment from her. _Please don't let it end, she prayed_.

    But it had to end eventually, of course. The music died down slowly and Ginny pulled herself away from Draco. She stood next to him, but not looking at him. 

    Dumbledore stepped onto the stage. "I hope you enjoyed your first dance. Now we all know that the purpose of the ball, besides raising funds for St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, is also to promote inter-house relationship among our students……" 

    Ginny looked around. The person who caught her attention was Professor Snape. He was dressed in dark blue robes, and his oily hair was sticking onto his face. He looked bored and impatient, and Ginny guessed (quite correctly) that he was thinking that balls were a waste of time and students should be in class or serving their detention, instead of enjoying themselves in a ball. She moved her gaze to Professor McGonagall, whom, for once, seemed to have the same expression (and thoughts) as Professor Snape. Prim and proper, she too, did not approve of balls or other fancy activities of any sort. She saw Hermione Granger paying attention to Professor Dumbledore's speech, as if she was in class, instead of a ball. And Vincent Crabbe was grinning sheepishly at Mandy Brocklehurst, and holding her hand!

    Her gaze met Ron's. Ron was looking at her with puzzlement. She also thought she saw a look of loathing, very likely directed at Draco Malfoy, who was staring straight ahead at Dumbledore. She shot Ron a rather apologetic look and turned away. She saw Harry staring at her, not looking, but staring. He had a funny expression, a mixture of anger, and……was that jealousy she thought she saw?

    "Ignore them." Draco Malfoy said softly, still looking straight at the stage. Dumbledore ended his speech, and the students clapped. A burst of colorful flakes were falling from the ceiling onto the students. "Ooh!" squealed some of the girls at the beautiful sight. Ginny smiled excitedly, and Draco turned round to face her. The stars were falling between them. Ginny stared at Draco, suddenly feeling awkward again.

    "Ginny!". She heard Ron's voice. "Oh oh!" she thought.

    "I thought you weren't coming.". She turned and faced Ron. 

    "Hi Ron! she smiled which she hoped looked natural. "I changed my mind." 

    Ron looked at Draco suspiciously. "How did you ever get paired up with him?" 

    "Ron, it's alright. I……" Ginny started to explain. Draco had a evil smirk on his face.

    "Well, well, what do we have here? Our future Lord Malfoy, you have made history. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor." Gregory Goyle's voice appeared from behind them. 

    Draco smirked at him. "Well, Weasley is a pureblood, that much I can thank my ancestors for, Goyle, even if she is a Gryffindor…" He was now looking at Hermione, who was behind Ron.

    "Oh yah, that's correct. But you never can tell they are pure-blooded though. Mudblood-lovers, they are……" "Shut your trap, Goyle!" Ron hissed.

    "What's the matter Ron Weasley? Defending the family name? Where's Potter? Need any backup help from him? He's usually around to save your arse…" MacDougal joined in.

    "Ron can take care of himself. It's your arse that needs saving, MacDougal." Harry walked and stood beside Ron.

    "Oh really? So your side-kick can take care of himself now. My, have you been training him, Potter?" MacDougal sneered.

    "Don't push you luck, MacDougal…or else." Harry growled threateningly.

    "Or else what? Potter?" Draco Malfoy's voice was challenging Harry and his eyes glistened dangerously. 

    "Yeah, speak up, you pathetic mudblood lover." Goyle's voice came behind MacDougal.

    "Ignore them, Harry." Hermione came up behind Harry, her voice pleading with him.

_    The tension was reaching breaking point. _

    "What's going on here?" Professor Moody pushed through the crowd. His third eye looked at Harry, and then to Draco.

    "Nothing Professor" Draco spoke first. "I was about to take my dance partner outside for a breather when the Gryffindors interrupted us."****

    "Well, go then." Professor Moody barked, much to the horror of Ron.

    "Yes, Professor. Thank you."**__**

    Draco Malfoy took Ginny's hand deliberately, and held it in front of Harry. "Until next time, Potter." 

    He turned around and walked out of the hall, dragging an unwilling Ginny along with him. He smirked at MacDougal who nodded at him, a wicked grin on his face.

    Ginny could hear Ron telling Professor Moody "We can't let her go with Malfoy. He'd kill her!"

    Ginny followed Draco outside to the corridor, not quite knowning what to expect. Draco led her up a stairways, down another corridor, around a bend, to what looked like a dungeon, then back up. It was like a labyrinth. "Where are we going?" Ginny asked panickly, looking around her. She didn't know where she was. 

    Draco didn't answer. He continued to walk quickly until he reached what Ginny realised was the viewing gallery of the Astronmy Tower. "Let me show you something" He smiled at her. "Close your eyes first." 

    Ginny guped and refused to close her eyes. "Come on, Virginia. I'm not going to perform any unforgivable curses on you. And it's only going to be for a moment." Draco edged her on. She closed her eyes, although she was getting very uneasy, even a little frightened.

    "Now" Draco commanded. Ginny opened her eyes and gasped. In front of her were a constellation of stars, glittering like diamonds. It was spectacular. "How…?"

    "Tonight is the night the stars collide. You only see this once in a hundred years. In the old, old times, wizards called this phenomenon the "Hearts on Fire." Ginny nodded and gazed up again. It was the most beautiful sight she ever saw. 

    "You look very beautiful tonight, Virginia." Draco said, for the second time tonight. Ginny's heart fluttered. She loved the way he said her name.

    "I have you to thank for. This ball gown, and the ticket to the ball. Why Draco?" 

    "Why?" Draco pretend not to understand the question.

    "I mean, you despise Gryffindors, and I……well, you didn't exactly like me before too. So why did you give me the gown and the ticket?"

    "Me, Weasley? Why, didn't you save up for this?" He stepped closer to Ginny and was fingering her gown.

    Ginny guped again "Don't deny, I know it's you. I want to know why……"

    "You sound afraid, Weasley."

    "I am not. I just, I'm kind of puzzled."

    "You were frightened just now, at the dance floor." 

    Ginny nodded. "I thought you boys were going to hex one another." 

    "Yes, we were. But it wouldn't be wise to do that in front of the whole school. Even Saint Potter, with his characteristic Gryffindor reckless bravado, is not that stupid to throw his Prefect's badge out the window by hexing us Slytherins just then. Not that he could if I'm there." Draco grimaced.

    "I'm, I'm a Gryffindor too."

    "Yes, and you certainly changed my mind about Gryffindors recently. Didn't know that Godric Gryffindor likes to pick damn attractive redheads as students. A pity Salazar Slytherin doesn't pick cute redheads for our house. Maybe I should write him a petition letter."

    Ginny giggled at the thought of Draco writing a petition to Salazar Slyterin.

    _Ginny, this is Draco Malfoy you are talking about_, her mind warned her. _He's dangerous_.

    "I liked you, Virginia Weasley. I cannot explain it." Draco 

    Silence.

    "Virginia, may I, kiss you?" 

    Ginny was stunned. Draco looked at her, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

    Ginny didn't know why she did what she did (afterall, the Slytherins just insulted her family back then) but she closed her eyes for him. In a split second, she felt Draco's lips on hers. It was cold, but Ginny felt as if she was on fire. "Hearts on Fire", she thought.

    Ginny kissed him back. He pulled her closer to him and their fingers touched her curls. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer, and together they are locked in a passionate embrace. Ginny felt as if she was flying in heaven. 

    What Ginny didn't know was that Draco's eyes suddenly opened and looked beyond Ginny to a pair of green eyes whose owner was standing at the entrance of the viewing gallery. Still having Ginny's lips on his, his eyes flashed a malicious, triumphant look at those green eyes.

****

****


	13. Yelling, Boiling and Comforting

Chapter 13 Yelling, Boiling and Comforting

    Harry walked away, as if in a trance, from the viewing gallery and down the stairways. He was in a state of shock. A Weasley and a Malfoy? The innnocent, naïve Ginny Weasley falling for the slimely git of a Malfoy? No! Ginny was in love with me! How could she? Harry thought, a mixture of shock and anger clouding his mind.

    Harry had volunteered to go after Ginny, when Malfoy dragged her out of the Great Hall. Hermione wouldn't let Ron, because Ron would definitely get himself into a fight with Malfoy. Morag MacDougal has tried to stopped him at the corridors,  and the two nearly got into a hex fight. When Harry found Ginny, the last thing he expect is this……

    Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't very well barge in and wrench them apart, although he was dying to do that. He couldn't beat up Malfoy……that would only make Ginny cry, and it's not the kind of behaviour you'll expect from a Gryffindor. 

    And Malfoy had flashed that evil, triumphant gaze at him. I win, you lose. That was what Malfoy meant. You evil, you foul……Harry growled. 

    "Harry, where is Ginny?" Hermione was running to him. Harry looked around. He was back at the corridor where he came from. 

    "Harry, what's wrong?" came Hermione's worried voice. Harry shook his head, his expression was filled with a mixture of anger and worry.

    "Come on, Harry!" 

    "Hermione, I found Ginny, and she was……kissing Malfoy!" Harry said bitterly.

    "Ginny? But why, how, I mean, they just got paired up, and it's not like……even though Malfoy is kinda cute, but he's such a…" Hermione muttered to herself, and then looked at Harry.

    "Harry? Harry………what's wrong? No, Harry! You like Ginny……" Hermione said softly.

    "Yes, I do, Hermione." 

    "I though you like Cho."

    "I did before, but Cho wasn't ready for me. She……she took Cedric's death very hard, Hermione, and believe it or not, she still mourns for him, even until today. We became friends, but we never gone beyond that……and then Ginny……sort of……well, you can say I finally notice her……" confessed Harry in a broken voice.

    "Harry……I'm so sorry…" Hermione said gently.

    "It's my fault, Hermione……I should have told her, but I'm so ashamed because all this years I've been ignoring her……" the words came tumbling out of Harry.

    "Harry, it's NOT you fault. You had nothing to do with all this. Ginny fell under the Malfoy charm……Malfoy had Veela blood in him, from one of his ancestors who married a Veela a few hundred years ago, but Veela blood is strong, it leaves its characteristics with their descendents even after a few hundred years, the ability to charm people……"

    "How did you know?"

    "I read about it in Famous Wizarding Families of Britain. I took it for a bit of light reading. Your family was mentioned too." Hermione said. 

    "I…" Harry sighed.

    "Let's go and find Ginny." Hermione said determinedly.

    MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE ASTRONOMY TOWER

    "Didn't know you were such a sweet snogger, Weasley." Draco and Ginny were sitting at the ledge of the viewing gallery.

    "Weasley?" Ginny voice sounded disappointed.

    Draco chuckled. She is really predictable. 

    "Sorry, Virginia. Is this your first kiss?"

    Ginny nodded, blushing."Hm, not technically, if you can count the night at the stairways……when I crashed into you……" Ginny giggled.

    Draco wanted to say "So you admit you threw yourself at me?", but that doesn't sound too great, so he swallowed it back.

    Ginny giggled again. "What?" asked Draco.

    "No, I was thinking how you look the other night, when I fell on you. You had a shocked expression on your face, I've never expected I would see a Malfoy looked shocked, and it's kind of funny………"

    "Oh, I'm funny, am I? What about this then?" And Draco tried to tickle Ginny.

    Ginny squealed. She tried to get up, but slipped and nearly fell over the ledge. Draco caught her into his arms.

    "Hm, you smell nice. Like apple……"

    Ginny let him hugged her. She placed her cheeks on his shoulder and smiled. This is heaven, she thought. 

    She pulled herself from Draco, and looked into his eyes. "Does this mean I'm his girlfriend?" Ginny thought.

    "Look Virginia!" Draco pointed to the sky.

    Ginny looked up. The stars were reshuffling.

    "Ginny!" Ginny turned and saw Harry and Hermione, and Ron, at the entrance. 

    Draco had been expecting this. Unseen by all, his hand reached inside his robe and placed it on his wand.

    "Oh, hi!" Ginny felt awkward but smiled at them. 

    "Ginny, what did this git do to you?" Ron was clenching his teeth.

    "Not……nothing Ron. He was just showing me the collision of the stars."

    She saw that Draco was looking at Harry and a curl was forming on Draco's lips. 

    "Ginny, let's go." Ron took her hand, but Ginny looked unwilling.

    "Weasley, you are certainly protective of your baby sister." Draco drawled.

    "Malfoy, if you did anything to her……"

    "Nothing that she didn't like……" Draco looked intently at Ron. Ginny blushed. Harry tightened his fist.

    "Ginny, come on……" Ron took her hand and for the second time, Ginny was dragged on unwillingly. She turned back and looked at Draco.

    He stood there, giving her a look that said "Go on……" and Ginny was disappointed. Harry and Hermione followed behind, Harry's eyes blazing at Malfoy.

    IN THE GRYFFINDOR COMMON ROOM

    "What the hell was going on?" Ron boomed. 

    "I……" Ginny was almost in tears.

    "How did you get the ticket to the ball? And why are you wearing this!" Ron was positively yelling at Ginny, who looked frightened out of her wits.

    "Ron, it's not Ginny's fault that she got paired up with Malfoy…" Hermione said exasperatedly.

    "You were dancing with him……and……you were hugging him and dancing" Ron choked.

    Harry and Hermione both looked at each other. 

    Suddenly, Ginny burst into tears. 

    "Ginny…" Ron was thrown off by Ginny's sudden outburst.

    Ginny ran up the stairs leading to her dormitory, ball gown and all.

    "Ron!" Hermione's voice came reproachfully. "You scared her!" 

    "I, I didn't mean to." Ron looked sad.

    "Well, even if you are angry with her, you shouldn't yell at her. Why, you never gave her a chance to explain!" Hermione continued. "Please, for heaven's sake, leave her alone. I'll go up and see her later. For now, I need to get back to the ball to see to the closing of the ball. All prefects had do. Harry, you stay with Ron. I'll explain to McGonagall." Hermione said all this in a very bossy voice.

    Harry sighed. So much for a wonderful evening. 

    Hermione walked briskly down the stairways and down the corridor. Ron was too much! Yelling at Ginny like that! Hermione fumed. He really need to get a grip on the Weasley temper.

    She sensed someone coming around a bend. It was Morag MacDougal, and Gregory Goyle. And they were snickering.

    Her instinct told her to duck behind a huge pillar. She was usually brave, but she didn't want to be caught confronting two Slytherins right now. Not when they nearly got into a hex fight at the dance floor. 

    "Here comes our future Lord Malfoy!" she heard MacDougal's voice.

    "Impeccable timing, MacDougal…" Hermione froze. Draco Malfoy?

    As Hermione listened to their conversation, she felt her blood beginning to boil. 

    IN GINNY"S DORMITORY……

    "Ginny?" Hermione pushed opened the door to the dormitory. No one seems to be in the room. Hermione walked over to Ginny's bed and pulled the curtains of her four-poster bed. Ginny was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees and her face was streaked with tears.

    "Oh, Ginny!" Hermione came over and put a comforting hand on the younger girl.

    Ginny looked up at Hermione's kindly eyes and gave a loud sob.

    "Hush now, it's alright. You didn't do anything wrong." Hermione took Ginny in her arms and patted her back.

    "Ron was furious with me……" Ginny choked.

    "That's because he's afraid Malfoy would hurt you. You know how he detests Malfoy……" Hermione said softly.

    "But Malfoy was really sweet to me, Hermione, he, he gave me that dress……and……he showed me the stars……"

    "You think Malfoy likes you, Ginny?"

    Ginny did not answer.

    "Ginny, Malfoy is not like you and I. He's different from us, he's a true Slytherin, and worst of all, he's a true Malfoy……you know what that means?"

    Ginny looked at Hermione with her tears-filled eyes.

    "The name Malfoy means bad faith, in character they are selfish, ruthless and cold-hearted. They care not for anyone else, but themselves and the Malfoy clan only. Most important of all, they don't know how to love. Not that they are not capable of it, but not in the way you and I would expect." 

    Hermione continued. "Malfoys are not capable of true love, that's just the way they are. Generations of females have fallen to the Malfoy charm and then live to regret it. Malfoys do not love, they marry to sire heirs to ensure the Malfoy lineage. Draco Malfoy's great-grandmother, for instant, used the Avada Kedavra curse on herself, after suffering from depression due to years of neglect by Lord Malfoy. She was only twenty-nine." 

    "I'm not lying, Ginny. You can read all this in _Famous Wizarding Families of Britain, Chapter 13, Tragic Women_. Harry's mother, Lily James Potter, was mentioned too, but in a different light, of course." 

    "But Malfoy said he liked me at the Astronomy Tower, he wouldn't lie to me……he wouldn't hurt me……"

    "I'm afraid he already did, Ginny……there's something I think you must see……" Hermione voice came sadly.

Author's Note: Do you like it? Please review……please, thank you. Also, I'm sorry if this is a cliff-hanger, but I felt this is the best point to end this chapter, as there are too many scene-changing in this chapter. I rather start a fresh chapter.


	14. Shattered Dreams

Author's (Very Important) Note: **I need to know, I really need to know, what do you, my readers, think of this chapter.** I spent a fair bit of effort to write this. You must review, please. Please tell me what you think. 

Chapter 14 Shattered Dreams

    FLASHBACK.......

    Hermione's blood was boiling. For the second time in her life, Hermione felt like giving Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins a resounding slap on the face. She stood behind the pillar, teeth clenched, eyes narrowed.

    After what it seems to be a lifetime,  the three Slytherins left. Hermione came out of her hiding place. Her face was grim. She had no plans to go back to the ball. She needed to get Harry. So She ran quickly but silently back to the Gryffindor common room.

    "Sugarlumps" she said to the Fat Lady and the portrait hole swung open. She saw Harry, sitting alone at the fireplace, his sad eyes staring into the fire.

    "Harry, where's Ron?" Hermione asked.

    Harry looked up. "Oh, hi Hermione. Ron's in the dormitory, sulking."

    Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "He should have known better than to yell at Ginny. Now he's feeling guilty eh?" But Hermione quickly moved on. She had no time to waste.

    "Harry, come with me now!"

    "Why? Where to?"

    "I tell you along the way. We have no time to lose. The sooner we get over this, the better." Hermione grimaced.

    Hermione ran out of the Gryffindor common room, a puzzled Harry following close behind.

    Hermione explained in a panting voice about the conversation she heard between Malfoy, MacDougal and Goyle.

    "I want to kill him!" Harry shouted.

    "Not so loud Harry......" Hermione hushed him. 

    "What are we going to do?" Harry asked.

    "We are going to do what we did in the second year. Kidnap Goyle, that fat idiot."

    "And then......." Harry suddenly looked at Hermione as if she was mental.

    "Leave the rest to me. We wouldn't get into trouble." Hermione said with confidence. 

    "Quiet, here he comes." Hermione whispered.

    And sure enough, Gregory Goyle came walking up, his arm full of cakes and sweets from the ball.

    "Petrificus Totalus!" Harry cried, pointing his wand at Goyle. Goyle immediately fell flat onto the cold stone floor.

    "Accio Goyle" Hermione muttered and Goyle flew up from the ground to Hermione's side. 

    "Come on, Harry, you get him to the Trophy room. I go get Ginny." Hermione instructed. Harry nodded grimly.

    Unknown to them, Vincent Crabbe, who had just finished snogging Mandy Brocklehurst behind a wall, had saw them. He furrowed his eyebrows. What did the two Gryffindors want with Goyle? 

    "Vincy dear, what's the matter?" cooled Mandy from behind the wall.

    "Nothing" said Crabbe. Five more minutes of snogging and then he would have to inform the Slytherins. But snogging would come first.

    IN THE TROPHY'S ROOM

    The clock struck with a long chime. It was already way past midnight.

    Ginny, still in her ball gown, followed Hermione from her dormitory to the Trophy room. On their way, they past students, tired from the ball, going back to their respective houses. Ginny and Hermione were walking in the opposite direction, and Ginny was trembling. What did Hermione wanted to show her?

    "Oh Ginny, please don't hate me. It's for the best." Hermione pleaded.

    Ginny saw Goyle lying on a heap on the floor.

    "What's the matter with him?" Ginny asked, amazed.

    From her dress robe, Hermione took out a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid. It was the Veritaserum, the truth potion. Hermione poured the liquid down Goyle's throat.

    "Enervate" Hermione whispered.

    "Can you hear me?" Hermione asked Goyle quietly.

    "Yes," Goyle's voice came.

    "Can you tell us what you, Malfoy and MacDougal talked about at the corridor just now?"

    "Yes," Goyle said.

    "Our plan was a success. Of course Draco was the brillant mind behind it." Goyle's dull voice said.

    "What plan?" Hermione asked.

    "It was during Potions. Draco observed that Potter had a thing for Ginny Weasley. When MacDougal teased Harry about Ginny, Potter blushed, like a girl." Goyle sneered, although his voice was still dull.

    "I did not!" Harry began to protest.

    "Quiet Harry!" Hermione commanded.

    "Draco wanted Ginny Weasley. To spite Pot-head. For being the Boy-Who-Lived. For rejecting his offer of friendship in the first-year. For helping Gryffindors win Quidditch and the House Cup every year. For always being the hero. For hexing us in the fourth year. Draco hated Potter for that. Especially the hexing incident. We all hate Harry Potter and the Gryffindors. A house of mudbloods and mudblood-lovers. A pollution to the wizarding world."

    "So he mastermind the plan. To take away someone which Harry Potter holds dear. Draco said that the most painful thing for a Gryffindor is to lose someone they love. Particularly because Gryffindors are so emotional and tempermental. It's their weak point. Unlike Slytherins, who are cold and detached. Draco said we must attack the enemy where they are most vulnerable. Then they will hurt like hell."

    "He courted Ginny Weasley. Makes her fall in love with him. Purposely bribed the events management company who was organizing the ball to pair him up with Ginny Weasley. Took her to the Astronomy Tower and stole a kiss from her. The most important part is to have Potter witness it all. MacDougal stall for time by pretending to fight Harry Potter until Draco had enough time to seduce Ginny at the Tower."

    Hermione looked at Ginny anxiously. Her expression was vacant.

    "Draco said Ginny is naive. In no time, he would have her eating out of his hand. Gryffindor stupidity....."

    "Hermione, I think that's quite enough......" Harry begin, looking at Ginny.

    Ginny finally spoke up, tears streaming down her eyes "Does Draco Malfoy ever like Ginny Weasley?" she asked softly, her voice pleading pitifully to Goyle, as if begging him to say yes.

    Goyle answered. "No."

    "I think, Virginia, that is hardly an appropriate question for Goyle to answer." Draco Malfoy's icy voice commanded from behind her.

    The three Gryffindors turned around to face Draco Malfoy. He had changed into his Hogwarts school robes, and his Slytherin blazer glistened in the light. MacDougall and Crabbe stood outside the door, wands in their hands.

    "What do you want, Malfoy? Haven't you caused enough damage?" Harry's voice shook with anger, his hand on his wand, ready to hex him anytime.

    Draco ignored Harry and turned to Hermione, his eyes blazing at her. "Very clever of you, Mudblood. To kidnap Goyle and present him to Virginia. Save you a considerable effort to convince her yourself." Draco's icy voice came.

    "She's innocent, Malfoy. Why do you have to do that, to her?" Hermione said bitterly.

    "Let Goyle go, Mudblood. No Gryffindor takes a Slytherin hostage." Draco said in a slow, commanding voice.

    "Gladly. We have no more use of him." Hermione shot Draco a dirty look.

    Draco looked at Ginny, a blank expression on his face. Inwardly he was quite startled at how miserable Ginny looked. Ginny stared back at him, but there were no tears in her eyes. She just stared back at him. 

    No, Virgina was not staring at Draco Malfoy. She was looking at Tom Riddle. _It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl_, Riddle's voice was ringing in her head. _No one ever understood me like you, Tom. I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in...It's like having a friend I can carry round in my pocket...._

    _Draco said Ginny is naive. In no time, he would have her eating out of his hand. Gryffindor stupidity.....Goyle's voice came._

    _I like you, Virginia. I cannot explain it. Draco's voice was coming to her._

    "Is it true, what Goyle said?" Ginny whispered to Draco.

    Draco Malfoy's cold grey eyes stared back at her, then _he looked away_. There was no answer. Draco Malfoy refused to answer.

    Ginny gave a sob. She took a step and slowly walked out of the trophy room, as if she was hypnotized, with Harry and Hermione staring sorrowfully after her.

    MacDougal shifted uncomfortably. There was a slight show of guilt on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something to Draco, but then thought the better of it, and shut it again.

    Ginny Weasley walked down the dark corridor. She suddenly tripped on her gown and fell down hard onto the floor. Her knees were throbbing. But she hardly feel the pain. She tried to picked herself up, tripped again, picked herself up for the second time and continue walking in the darkness.

    Draco Malfoy's eyes looked on. 

    MORNING

    When Ginny Weasley woke up the next morning, it was as if all that happened last night was a bad dream. Only the ball gown lying on her chair served to remind her that it indeed had happened.

    Ginny felt as if her world had shattered. She didn't know how she was going to make it through the day. Thank goodness it was a Saturday. Most of the students would be sleeping late because of the ball the night before. Many of them will go to Hogsmeade in the afternoon. Ginny decided she will stay in the dormitory today. She cannot face anyone today. 

    So much had happened last night. Within a span of a few hours, her emotions were lifted to heaven and then it came crashing down. 

    Ginny skipped breakfast. Ron wanted to go look for her, but Hermione stopped him. Ron had no idea what happened, and Hermione and Harry intend to keep it from him. There was no purpose in letting him know. Ron would only kill Malfoy, and get himself into trouble, and it would not be worth it.

    Ginny skipped lunch too. She had spent her morning crying softly at the Owlery. All the school owls looked sad for her. They didn't understand what made the kind girl who used to feed them, so miserable.

    Ginny wiped her tears away. She still feel bad, as if her insides were chewing her. She headed towards the lake, the only place where she could find real solitude.

    To Ginny's surprise, she saw Professor Dumbledore walking, with Fawkes the Phoenix circling around him. He seemed to be chatting to Fawkes animatedly.

    Ginny turned away. She didn't want Professor Dumbledore to see her cry. But it was too late. Dumbledore had seen her, and he beckoned her with his hand, smiling kindly at her.

    Ginny walked hesistantingly to Dumbledore. "Ah, the youngest Weasley. Also the kindest, sweetest one." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling at her.

    "He...Hello, Headmaster." 

    "Hello, Ginny, now why aren't you in Hogsmeade with the others?"

    "I...I...don't feel like it." And with that, Ginny started to cry. She couldn't stop it. She was cracking up inside.

    "There there, there's nothing to be upset about." Dumbledore said kindly.

    Ginny continue to sob.

    "Now Ginny, if someone as young as you would care to listen to an old fool like me," and Dumbledore's eyes started to twinke again.

    "Headmaster, you, you're not an....an..old..."

    "Hm, Rita Skeeter seemed to think so...." Dumbledore grinned, referring to Daily Prophet's notorious reporter.

    "Ginny, I have lived for a long, long time, and have seen many things in this lifetime." Dumbledore began.

    Ginny looked at the kindly Headmaster. Was he trying to tell her something?

    "Life is like a school, Ginny. It imparts wisdom to us through lessons thrown our way. We must not be destroyed by these harsh lessons, but to learn from them. Sometimes when the lesson given to us is too harsh, we despair and cannot see the light. But we must learn to walk out of the valley of the shadow of death into the lightness, and learn from it. We must help ourselves. But first we must be willing, for the gods help those who help themselves."

    "We must try, but do not despair. There is magic in life. When you are willing, then life always will lend a helping hand. Nothing happens by accident, remember that. Muggles have a saying, when a door closes, another opens. That is magic at its highest order, and it applies to both wizards and muggles."

    "Let me elaborate, Ginny. You were born into a huge family with very little wealth. Your brothers teased you constantly. And you come to school with second-hand robes while others had brand new ones. It was unfortunate that you came upon Tom Riddle's diary and was made a victim in his quest to come back to power. You thought you found a friend, but you realized that you were made use of. You felt hurt."

    "The same with what happened to Mr Malfoy. Again, you were used, when you gave your heart and soul to love him."

    Ginny looked up in surprise. How did Dumbedore know?

    "I have learnt that while it is important to love others, it is even more important to know how to love ourselves, and not let our self-worth be determined by others and their actions towards us. Of course, others would always have their opinion. Some are kindly advice, some are just not so."

    "There's more to life than seeking love and acceptance from others. We are put into this world to do good, to contribute, to make a difference, to make the world a better place for wizards and muggles alike. Do not let the vicious actions of others destroy our goodness, Ginny. Always remember that."

    "Love is important. But The most important love is one which we can give to ourselves. Only when we love ourselves can we love others. And only that, can we impart wisdom, kindness and strength to others."

    "Do you understand Ginny?"

    Ginny nodded slowly. "But I don't know if I can do go through with this. It hurts badly." Ginny looked at Dumbledore sadly.

    "_Covert your sorrow into strength, Ginny. For the betterment of yourself. _You've always been a good student. Why not set your sights higher to be an outstanding student, for a start? And, Madam Pomfrey is seeking a student nurse to help her with her chores at the Hospital Wing. Would you like to do so? That will take up a bit of your time as well. And why not try to make new friends? I'm sure there are some fine students outside of your house which you don't know yet. All these are good for you and will take your mind off unnecessary thoughts."

    "I will try."

    Dumbledore's eyes twinkled again. "Good, well, if you need someone to chat, come to me or owl me if I'm not around, or you can speak to Professor McGonagall. She's quite a softie actually."

    Ginny let out a sudden burst of giggle at Professor McGonagall being called a softie. Miraculously, she felt better already.

    "Thank you Headmaster."

    "Anytime, Ginny" and the kindly Headmaster walked back to the castle, leaving Ginny standing at the lake.

Author's Note (2): Did I mislead you for thinking that Draco will fall for Ginny? Do you hate me for making Draco a first-class jerk? But he's not beyond salvation. Shall I dive into _his point of view_? Or shall I stop the story here, and your imagination takes it from here? Let me know………ok?


	15. Dragon's Denial

Author's Note: Here it is. Draco's Malfoy's point of view……tell me what you think yah? Please………

Chapter 15 Dragon's Denial

    Draco Malfoy did not sleep well. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes when he woke up. He had been tossing and turning in his bed the night before, puzzling in his head, until the wee hours of the early morning, before he drifted off into an uneasy slumber.

    Draco Malfoy was thinking about Virginia Weasley. About what happened the night before. Draco Malfoy never harbour feelings of regret. It was an emotional weakness, very un-Slytherin. But somehow, having seen the hurt expression on Ginny's face last night……

    Draco, for the first time in his life, felt uneasy about someone he had manipulated. Virginia Weasley.

    It started off innocently enough. The collision at the stairways, and the kiss. Draco had felt himself attracted to Ginny Weasley after that episode. Not so much her physical beauty, Draco had seen many pretty girls in school. But Ginny Weasley had that vulnerability, that innocence which was foreign to him. The way she blushed and ran down the stairs after they kissed. The time at the lake, where she smiled so innocently at him, even after he had taunted her, just because she had receive her birthday gifts and wanted to share her joy with him. No girl ever behave in that way to him. And he found it, refreshing.

    Most of the girls he knew before, if they were Slytherins, are conniving, dangerous beauties. If they were Ravenclaws, they were the "confidence" girls, pretty but too vocal sometimes. Hufflepuff and Gryffindors, he dismissed them at first glance. But Virginia Weasley was different, she had an element about her, which no other girl had. What was it, Draco didn't know.

    But it was not love. Draco Malfoy, in his life, had never so much as remotely cared for a girl. Sure, he had dated, but only because his father encouraged him, to girls from wealthy, wizarding familes who could further the Malfoy's Clan interests. And they must be purebloods. Draco himself added another criteria. Pretty girls only. Love, to Draco Malfoy, is a foreign concept, and he had never thought about it or care for it. Romance is a concept created by the middle-class. It is not for highborns like Draco Malfoy whose purpose in life is to inherit the Malfoy financial empire and heighten it further with ruthless, calculative moves. To play the Game. And as a sideline, taunt attention-seekers like Saint Potter and loser Ron Weasley.

    Also, Draco rationalized to himself, for centuries, generations of Lords of the Malfoy Clan regarded women as pretty objects for sex and passion, and more imporantly, for heirs. But beyond that, they never were very much a part of the scheme of things of the Malfoy clan. And Draco did not see why he had to think differently.

    So what was it that Ginny Weasley had stirred up within him? Lust? Not quite, but close enough, as Draco did not deny to himself that she was indeed one of the most alluring girls he ever lay eyes on. Love? Never, especially not to a lowly Weasley, mudblood-lover with no wizarding pride, a total disgrace to the pureblood wizard population. What would Father think?

    And then Draco had the opportunity to observe that Virginia was very much affected by his words when he lashed out at her in the corridor after a run-in with Professor Moody. A sign, he presumed quite correctly, that she cared what he said about her. And why should she care, if not for the fact that he, somehow, mattered to her.

    Then, fate has to have Potter liked Virginia too. And Draco discovering that during Potions. Wonderful. Draco was a master in the skill of emotion observation and manipulation. It was a neceesity skill for a Malfoy to survive in the Game. Emotion was a weakness, and those who understand and manipulate human emotions had the upper hand in the Game.

    Revenge. That was what Draco had in mind. Revenge against Potter. Saint Potter. Who, together with the Weasley twins, had publicly humiliated him on the train with their hex attacks. It had been two years ago, but Draco had never find the perfect opportunity to exact revenge on him. Not that there weren't possibilities, but all of them seemed too petty and not satisfactory enough.

    But when it involves a girl……that was different. She would be the prize that they would vie for. The snitch. The incident at the lake only serves to confirm that Virginia was slowly falling for him. The way her voice expressed disappointment when he was going to leave. It was perfect. Draco Malfoy had finally been presented the perfect opportunity. That was when he conceptualize the plot. That very afternoon.

    He shared his plot with MacDougal and Goyle. MacDougal would play a pivotal role. MacDougal would stall anyone who tried to get up to the Astronomy Tower too early, before Draco had time to set the scene. Goyle was too stupid to do much, but he could be a backup for MacDougal if things go wrong. It would be good boyish fun, and they would get their revenge on the blasted Gryffindors. And Draco Malfoy himself would have the starring role, together with the beautiful Virginia Weasley. It was all too perfect.

    Ane he did enjoy himself in the process. Virginia really took his breath away at the ball. She was gorgeous. When he kissed her at the Astronomy Tower, her lips felt so sweet that he craved for more.

    But one thing he did not quite foresee was having been found out so soon. And under such an awkward situation. Stupid mudblood Granger. And another point he did not forsee - Virginia's innocent face was wrecked with hurt. He'd expect her to be indignant, even mad at him, but the kind of reaction he got made him uncomfortable. He did not know the reason. Regret. Guilt. Was that what he was feeling?

    And why should he? He had no reason to. So Ginny was hurt. So be it then. It's a cold, cruel world, anyway. And if being a Gryffindor means thinking that the world was a loving mass of people, it was her naïve Gryffindoric interpretation of the world. And if she falls for him, it was her own doing. He did not force her.

    But it still made him uneasy.

    Draco Malfoy got out of bed very late. He was famished and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Breakfast was available until eleven-thirty, because of the ball the night before. It was a good spread, and Draco found himself tucking in with the rest of the Slytherins hungrily.

    Morag MacDougal and Gregory Goyle did not talk about the incident. There was no need to. The damage had been done, the results satisfactory (in a way), and it was time to move on.

    "Hey, Malfoy, want to go to Hogsmeade today?" Crabbe asked. 

    Draco nodded.

    Blaise Zabini leaned over to Draco. "I heard what happened. You are ruthless, Malfoy" she whispered, smiling approvingly at him, before she turned back to her breakfast.

    Draco looked at Blaise. His eyes took in her porcelain face and her ebony hair. Blaise was one of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts. And she has brains, definitely. Not to mention a dark side about her. How did she know? It must be Goyle. Draco ignored her comment and continue tucking in.

    He did not want to think about the incident. There was no point. As far as he was concerned, it was over between him and Virginia Weasley.

Author's Note: There you have it. Draco Malfoy's point of view. But alas, something is going to happen. Good or bad? You'll be the judge. If you are a hardcore Draco/Ginny fan, you would love my next chapter. It is for you, my dear readers. Coming right up……don't forget to review this chapter.


	16. Hurt in Knockturn Alley

Author's Note: I hope you like this! Sorry to keep you waiting, but as I promised before, at least one chapter a month. I'm going to stick to my word, so here goes!

Chapter 16 Hurt in Knockturn Alley

    A FEW MONTHS LATER……

    Ginny was studying in the library. Her term tests were coming up and she wanted to do well, so she was pouring over her books harder than ever. Ron remarked that she was as bad as Hermione.

    Ginny was slowly recovering from her unhappy encounter. The recovery process had been painful, but time was a good healer. She remembered Dumbledore's words of wisdom to her at the lake and she clung on to those words for strength.

    Like she promised Dumbledore, she worked hard at her lessons, and her grades improved tremendously. She was clearly the top student of her year. And she had been kept very busy helping Poppy at the Hospital Wing three times a week. Quite a few of her evenings were spent tutoring the first-years, which Ginny enjoy very much as well. She loved helping the younger ones.

    She avoided Draco Malfoy as much as she could. They sometimes bumped into each other in the corridor. Ginny always managed to avoid his gaze and walked away quickly. Mercifully, he did not taunt her like he used to. It was also the same expression he gave her. Impassive. Not that it mattered. She did not feel for him anymore. It was better if they keep out of each other's path.

    Life was going to be alright, she told herself.

    After what seemed like a couple of hours, Ginny finally closed her books, and sighed. She was done. It was time to give herself a break. She had arranged with Colin Creevey and some of the fifth-years to go into Hogsmeade this afternoon, and she smiled as she thought of pumpkin fizz and sweets from Honeydukes.

    IN HOGSMEADE

    Hogsmeade was packed with people. Ginny allowed herself to be absorbed by the hustle and bustle of the town. She loved Hogsmeade, especially on a sunny Saturday afternoon like this one.

    "Ginny, sweets?" Colin Creevey tilted his head in the direction of Honeydukes.

    Ginny nodded, and they went inside, which was crammed full of Hogwarts' students.

    "Gin!" 

    "Harry!" Ginny waved at him and Harry jostled his way through the crowd to her. Ginny looked at him coming over. After the night of the ball, Harry had confessed his feelings for Ginny, but Ginny knew that the timing was not right. Not after what happened with Draco Malfoy. Harry had graciously accepted her decision. And they had remain friends. But instead of just being "Ron's little sister" Harry and Ginny's friendship had gotten closer than ever before. 

    "What are you gettting?" he asked.

    Ginny shrugged. There were so many varieties of sweets and candies in Honeydukes that Ginny always took a long time to decide.

    They started to sample. Some were really delicious, others were horrible, and some just taste weird.

    Ginny and Harry make their way near the window, where the new sweet samples were. Harry popped a piece of green candy in his mouth, and Ginny suddenly began to giggle.

    "What's the matter, Ginny?" 

    "Oh, nothing, just that your face is turning green, Harry! Ginny giggled again.

    "Oh!" said a dismayed Harry, and then he looked at her, beautiful Ginny, clutching her sides and chuckling at him, and he burst out laughing too.

    Outside, at the Three Broomsticks, Draco Malfoy observed the pair through the Honeydukes' window, where he was having a butterbeer with Blaise and his gang of Slytherins. His face remain impassive, but his eyes narrowed intently when he saw them laughing together. He tore his gaze from the window and turned back to the Slytherins.

    Blaise smiled at him knowingly, and Draco felt irritated. "What?" he mouthed out the word at her, not making a sound though. She smirked at him, then turned back to Millicent Bulstrode.

    Draco sighed, and took another gulp of his butterbeer. He and the Slytherins were sitting outside today, basking in the warm afternoon sun. He looked around. It seems that the whole Hogwarts school was here, seeing that the landscape was colored with Hogwarts robes, with the red, blue, yellow and green blazers. No matter, as long as Gryffindors and Mudbloods keep out of my way, he thought.

    But alas, it was not to be so. Draco saw Harry and Ginny walking out of Honeydukes towards The Three Broomsticks. They were laughing and Ginny was popping a sweet into Harry's mouth. 

    Somehow, Draco felt a slight sour stirring in the pits of his stomach when he saw this. It made him uncomfortable.

    Apparently, Harry and Ginny were still chatting animatedly and didn't notice them. They seated themselves at a nearby empty table.

    "Hi Harry!" Blaise suddenly called out deliberately to Harry. Harry turned, and Harry looked taken aback that he was suddenly faced with so many Slytherins.

    By this time, Ginny too, had noticed the Slytherins. And Draco Malfoy. Draco saw her looking at him, and he purposefully lifted his arm and drapped it around Blaise's chair. 

    A petty gesture, but to Draco, a necessary one. He wasn't going to come out of this looking bad, he thought determindly. Damn Blaise.

    As if she could hear his thoughts, Blaise turned and did a sweet smile at Draco. Her sharp eyes noticed his arm around her chair, and she smirked.

    "Hi Blaise" greeted Harry, and Ginny smiled at Blaise. Unlike her other Slytherin counterparts, Blaise was more cordial to the Harry and the Dream Team, and in general, students of other houses. So it wasn't surprising that they acknowledge her politely. Not that she liked them, though. In fact, she shared the same Slytherin contempt for muggle-born and muggle-lovers. But she felt that it was far too beneath her to openly expressed animosity and taunt them like Draco, or Pansy for that matter. Blaise was a plotting, ruthless person, even if she was only seventeen, and she hide behind her carefully crafted façade, hitting out only you least unexpect it. Like what she was doing to Draco. Only now it was for pure, sadistic, Slytherin fun.

    "Having a butterbeer too? You and Ginny are together?" She said in a too-friendly tone. 

    "Uh……" Harry and Ginny both didn't know what to say.

    "Well, if it isn't Weasley, she's your girlfriend, Potter?" Crabbe sniggered. He wasn't as bad as Goyle and MacDougal, but he still couldn't help taking a dig at Gryffindors every now and then.

    "I'm not surprised, from what I know, it seems that most of the female population in Hogwarts worship the ground you walk on, Potter" Draco's drawling voice came. It wasn't really an attack on Potter, of course. It sounded more like an attack on Ginny.

    Ginny looked at Draco. She could hear the Slytherins sniggering. She felt her temper rising. This, this Slytherin git had toyed with her feelings and now he was insulting her! Just how much more can a girl take? I'm not the weak, vulnerable person anymore, she heard her mind saying. Hit back. Hit back at him, for toying with you, for all the insults he hurled at Ron. And your family.

    "A very astute observation, Malfoy. More so when I believe no girl had, and would ever worship the ground you walked on. Especially not when you come from a family of dubious background like yours." Ginny said all these in one single breath, not even batting an eyelid.

    This was an open declaration of war. Draco paled slightly, and a pink flush was coming to his cheeks. Ginny looked on boldly at him, her gaze challenging him.

    Harry looked on awkwardly. Ginny had really grown up, he thought admirably. _Let her fight it out with Malfoy._

    "Flattered to hear your opinion of me, Weasley. Usually, you have none, or so we noticed." Draco's voice came.

    "No, usually I don't bother myself with people who are associated with Death Eaters." 

    By this time, people from every table outside The Three Broomsticks were staring at them.

    Ginny turned back to Harry. "Let's go, Harry" she said quietly.

    The Slytherins looked at Draco. He returned their gazed with a nochalant look. Goyle gave a shrug.

    "One day, she will pay for that remark" Draco said quietly. His grey eyes had turned stormy. 

    "Oh, come on, she's just a girl…" began MacDougal. 

    "Standing up, for her?" Draco looked at MacDougal expectantly.

    "Course not…I…" MacDougal looked down on his butterbeer.

    Draco turned his piercing gaze from MacDougal and took out his pocket watch to glance at the time. "I need to make a move first" he said shortly to his gang, and without waiting for a reply, he got up and walked out of The Three Broomsticks, leaving the Slytherins shouting after him.

    "Hey, planning something already?" Crabbe called out. Draco ignored them all and walked on.

    Ginny walked out of Hogsmeade, where she had left Harry and Colin Creevy. Her next stop was Flourish & Blotts in Diagon Alley. She had promised one of the first-years, a sweet Hufflepuff boy whom she is tutoring, a book on Quidditch Through the Ages. The boy had a book token from Flourish and Blotts given to him by his uncle as a birthday gift, but as first-years were not allowed into Hogsmeade nor Diagon Alley, he had pleaded with her get him the book. 

    She felt a sense of satisfaction as she remembered her run-in with Draco Malfoy earlier. All her resentment, which she thought she had got over, were packed in her statement towards him. He deserved it, he had used me cruelly, and insulted me, she thought resentfully. How could I have ever liked him, that cold-hearted beast?

    Ginny felt her pocket to make sure that she had the book token. She wasn't very used to travelling by Floo powder, but she heard that there was a PortKey (in the form of an old flag-pole) from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley. Now all she had to do was to find the PortKey………

    She saw a dumpy little witch coming towards her. "Madam" Ginny called out to her. The witch looked up at her. "Yes?" she cackled.

    "Is this the PortKey to Diagon Alley?" and Ginny pointed to the flag-pole.

    "Yes" the witch said, her eyes suddenly brightened at Ginny.

    "Thank you so much" Ginny beamed at her. The witch looked at her and scurried away.

    Ginny touched the flag-pole and it happened immediately. She felt as if a hook behind her navel had been suddenly jerked irresisitbly forward. Her feet had left the ground and she was speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; her forefinger was stuck to the flag-pole as though it was pullling her magnetically onwards and then –

    Her feet slammed into the ground. Ginny looked up. She had arrived at what it seems to be the most unlikely-looking of all places. This was not Diagon Alley.

    Ginny found herself in a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told her she was in Knockturn Alley.

    Instinctively she felt frightened. None of the Weasley children were ever allowed into Knockturn Alley. It is infamous for dark wizards and witches. She tried to stay calm, while thinking how she could get out of here.

    She sensed several pairs of eyes looking at her. An old evil-looking wizard was coming towards her. "Lost, little girl?" And he looked menancingly at her. 

    "I'm…al…alright, th..thanks!" Ginny tried her best to stay calm.

    "Now let me help you……" the evil-looking wizard was coming closer. 

    Ginny bolted. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. But unknown to her, she was running deeper and deeper into Knockturn Alley.

    Ginny didn't know where she was running to. She wanted to cry, but bit her lip. This was no time to panic. She had to stay calm. She saw a dark, forbidden building and ran inside to hide. 

    Inside of the building, it looked deserted. There were wooden planks all over the floor. She hid herself behind a large wooden box, about the size of a coffin, trembling.

    And then, she heard people shuffling in. She peeped out. Figures in black hooded robes, about six of them, were assembling in the open space near her. She didn't know who they were.

    One of the figures started to speak "Death Eaters, one year had passed since the Dark Lord was destroyed by Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. Without the Dark Lord, we are powerless. The ones who had been in the highest ranks of Lord Voldemort's commandment, the Clan Lords of Malfoy, Avery, Nott, and Zabini had abandoned the Dark cause after our Lord was destroyed. They had pledge their allegiance in the first place only to ride on the Dark Lord rising influence, to gain more power. And when he fell, for the second time, they relinquish their Death Eaters' status. They protect themselves from the wrath of the Aurors this time in the same way as the first time. By bribery of Ministry Officials. And through that, they had grown even more powerful, as they have many officials in important posts in the Ministry under their command, doing their dirty work."

    He paused for a while, and then continued. "As for us, we have been completely abandoned. We neither had the power, money nor the connections. And so, we are continuously persecuted by the Aurors. Who will protect us?"

    "Not the Clan Lords, they protect only their own Clans. They forgot that we too, have served Voldemort and thereby, them. We were under their commandment once. But after the Dark Lord fell, they completely abandoned us. Because we were not part of their Clan."

    "So now we had no one to turn to. It is only a matter of time when the Aurors catch up with us. Our only fate seems to be Azkaban……who goes there?"

    Ginny gasped in her breath. She cowered further, hoping she would not be found out. But it was too late. One of the hooded figures grabbed her by her robe and dragged her out.

    "Now, what do we have here?" 

    "I know this girl, she's the daughter of Arthur Weasley, that bumbling, muggle-loving fool who works for the Ministry."

    In spite of her circumstance, Ginny suddenly lost her fear. She felt the familiar Weasley temper rising inside her. "Don't you dare talk about my father like that, you pathetic EX-DEATH-EATER!."

    "What shall we do with her?" one of them asked.

    "Nothing. Drop her, MacNair" said an icy, commanding voice.

    Ginny looked up, and saw a familiar silver-blond, still wearing his Hogwarts school robes with the Slytherin blazer, leaning at the entrance of the building.

    "Well, well, well, if it is not young Master Malfoy" MacNair's voice came dangerously.

    "I am glad you still remember the Malfoy name." Draco walked slowly but firmly towards MacNair and Ginny.

    "I do. But I cannot say the same for your father, of the MacNair name." MacNair sneered.

    "Virginia Weasley here, is a school friend of mine. And I would like to take her. Now." Draco's voice was absolute.

    "I think we have other uses for her. And come to think of it, you as well, young Master Malfoy."

    "You wouldn't dare, MacNair." Draco's voice sounded even more dangerous than MacNair. "You, of all people, should know the consequences of coming against a Malfoy." 

    Indeed, MacNair hesistated for a while. The Malfoy Clan was the most bloody, ruthless of all the Clans. And MacNair was perfectly aware of that.

    "Unfortunately, I cannot let her go. As for you, young Master Malfoy, please turn your back and leave now."

    "I think I have made myself very clear. I would like to take her. Now."

    "Then you leave me with no choice, young Master Malfoy. There are six of us here. Do reconsider."

    "Then, MacNair, you would have to pay the price, when my father and the other Clan Lords know about this."

    And then, with lightning speed, Draco Malfoy pulled out his wand and casted a green, blinding light towards the deatheaters. So blinding was the light that some of the deatheaters cried out in pain. Ginny was blinded by the light as well, but she felt a strong grip on her arm, pulling her away from MacNair's hold.

    "Run!" 

    Ginny ran as fast as she could but the deatheaters had recovered from the blinding light. "Get them!" she could hear MacNair snarled, and a hurst of hexes were casted at the fleeing pair.

    Suddenly, Draco pushed Ginny down onto the floor. "Get down!" she heard his voice. Before she knew what happened, he dragged her up again and started running, the hexes still coming towards them, until they reached a bend. 

    "Fl…floo..powder…" Draco thrusted the grey powder into Ginny's hand. "Qu..quick!"

    "Hogwarts!" Ginny shouted and in a flash, Ginny felt herself spinning and spinning until she hit a stone floor.

    She looked around. They were in the grounds of Hogwarts, the Hogwarts Castle still some distance away. Ginny looked at Draco. He was standing beside her, his face ashen-white. And his hand was tightened into a fist. "Le..let's go…" he said, with some difficulty. 

    Ginny, still in shock over what happened, nodded mutely. They started to walk towards the Castle, but without warning, Draco fell to onto the grass. Ginny kneel down, trying to help him up, but then Ginny saw blood blossoming on his Hogwarts robe, and brought her hand up to her mouth. He was hit by the hexes.

    "Malfoy!" Ginny cried. There was blood, there was a lot of blood.

    His breathing coming out in short spams, and his face was cortorted with pain. His eyes were staring blankly at the sky.

    "Draco……" Ginny whimpered. 

    "I……cannot die……" Draco voice was losing their strength.

    "Draco, I'm going to try stop the bleeding……and then I go get Poppy, alright?" Ginny voice was trembling. She was trying her best to remember what Poppy taught her. She undid his robes, and shirt, which had been stained crimson by now, and gasped. There was an ugly deep slash on his pale skin. 

    She looked at Draco. His face and lips were so pale they look translucent. And his eyes were slowly closing. No, Ginny thought, don't close your eyes. Instinctively, she knew once he closed those grey eyes, they will never open.

    "Draco, listen to me. You are not going to die." Ginny said firmly. She was taking out her wand, and she quickly muttered a spell to stop the bleeding. Ginny realised that it didn't help much, for the hexes hit him too deep. Her heart sank.

    "Ginny? Whadda yer doing here?" a familiar voice said. Ginny's heart leaped. 

    "Hagrid! Thank Gryffindor you are here. Draco is dying." And Ginny began to cry.

    "Malfoy?" And without another words, Hagrid swung Draco up, and for the second time in his life, Hagrid carried Draco Malfoy back to Hogwarts castle in a state of injury.

    Ginny ran beside Hagrid, trying to keep up. Her voice was filled with desperation. "Draco, can you hear me? You can't die, you hear me? You are the only heir to the Malfoy Clan, remember? Think about your Father, and Mother. And the fortune that you will inherit. What about your ancestors? What will they think……? Think about your Father, your Father, Draco……"

    Hagrid stared grimly ahead as he tried to get Draco Malfoy back to Hogwarts Castle as quickly as he can. He looked at Ginny from the corner of his eye. "Merlin, she really cared for Malfoy……" Hagrid thought.

    Hagrid and Ginny dashed into towards the Castle, into the Great Hall……towards the Teachers' table……

    A few hundred pairs of eyes turned towards them. "Headmaster, Draco Malfoy is hurt……dying……staircase……" Ginny cried out, her breath choking her……

    Dumbledore sat up in a flash. 

    "Ginny Weasley…" began Professor McGonagall.

    "Call for Madam Pomfrey! Dumbledore boomed at Professor Flitwick. "Severus, Miranda, come with us!"

    "What the……" Ron Weasley had stood up, and was trying to get to Ginny.

    "Everyone, stay where you are!" Dumbledore boomed again.

    Ginny, Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall got up towards Hagrid. By then, Madam Pomfrey had appeared, and she said sharply "Goodness, he's badly hurt, we must get him to the Hospital Wing now!"

    His face had turned purple blue by now and his body was shaking. His breathing was getting weaker and weaker. And Ginny could tell he was in great pain. Draco Malfoy was quickly apparated to the Hospital Wing (Only the school nurse had the power to apparate in Hogwarts).

    She started to run towards the direction of the Hospital Wing. "Ginny…" began Professor McGonagall.

    Dumbledore held up a hand. "Let her go" he said quietly. "And I must see to the boy myself."

    Ginny bolted.

Author's Note: There you have it. It's my longest chapter to date! Sorry if I took some time to get this up. Please review, my self-confidence depends on it!


	17. Enter Lucius Malfoy

Chapter 17 Enter Lucius Malfoy

    Ginny ran up as fast as she could. _Please, let him be alright_, she pleaded over and over again.

    When she reached the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore was already there. Apparently, he too, had apparated. 

    Dumbledore put out a hand. "Madam Pomfrey is attending to him in the emergency room. We should not go in. Let us wait." 

    After to Ginny what seemed like eternity, Madam Pomfrey emerged from the emergency room at last. She looked very worried. "Headmaster, I've stopped the bleeding. For now. But this injury is beyond me. We need to get the mediwizards from St. Mungo's. And quickly, because we might lose him anytime if we don't hurry."

    Ginny felt her heart sank again. _So he wasn't alright_. She watched helplessly as Dumbledore went out of the Hospital Wing. "Madam Pomfrey, can I see him?" she looked at Poppy desperately. "No, Ginny....he....oh, alright, but only for a while. Ginny followed Madam Pomfrey to the emergency room. 

    Draco Malfoy was lying chest down on the surgical table, his eyes closed. His silver-blond hair fell over his pale face, which was now drenched with sweat. He looked so innocent, like an angel. A fallen angel, Ginny thought. 

    Her eyes travelled to his back, where the slash was. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was turning black. "There was venom in it, Ginny" explained Madam Pomfrey. "Which is why we need the mediwizards. We have to draw the venom out before it poisons the boy's system."

    Ginny sobbed. She felt so guilty. All the resentment for Malfoy went away as she stood there staring at him. He saved her, which is why he is dying now. It's all because of me. 

    "Will he be alright?" 

    "I don't know, Ginny. But Malfoy is a strong boy. He will be alright." But Ginny could sensed uncertainity in Poppy's voice.

    Suddenly, a group of four mediwizards came shuffling into the emergency room. They were men in white robes. One of them, an old mediwizard whose beard length could very well challenge Dumbledore's own, took a look at Draco and frowned. "We need to act fast," he commanded. Ginny felt herself being pushed out of the emergency room by Poppy, and then the door slammed shut in her face.

    "Ginny…" began Professor Dumbledore kindly.

    "I want to stay here, Professor." Ginny stated determindly.

    Her eyes stayed locked at the emergency room, beyond the door, where her first love was struggling for life.

    The clock ticked on. 

    "If my son dies, Dumbledore, I swear on my ancestors' blood that you, and all the incompetent fools who worked here in this pathetic excuse of a school will die with him." Lucius Malfoy spat.

    He had been promptly informed of Draco Malfoy's injury by Dumebldore. And he had swept angrily into the Hospital Wing, his expensive black robes falling elegantly around him. 

    Hagrid, who by this time, was also in the Hospital Wing, looked ready to lunge at Lucius for his remark. He hated Lucius Malfoy, for what he had tried to do to him and Buckbead before. But Hagrid, who had carried Draco himself to the Hospital Wing, was also very worried about the boy.

    Ginny looked at Lucius Malfoy from one corner. It was truly amazing how much Draco resembled Lucius. They had the same silver-blond hair, the same aristocratic features and those eyes. They were an unmistakable Malfoy trait.

    Ginny supposed that was how Draco would look like when he reached his father's age. Although Ginny wasn't sure she would like that. True, Lucius Malfoy had the aristocratic bearing, but he also inspired fear in the people around him, except for people like Dumbledore, Hagrid or Arthur Weasley, who disliked him, as much as Lucius held them in contempt. Lucius Malfoy frightened Ginny. She wondered what would he do if he found out…

    "Your son would be fine, Lucius. We had the best mediwizards from St. Mungo's here……" trailed Dumbledore.

    Lucius glared at him, before turning his eyes on Ginny. He paused, before he said slowly, his eyes giving her red hair the once over "And why, may I know is the Weasley here?"

    "She was with Draco when he was hurt." Dumbledore stated.

    Lucius Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "So, I presume, she was the cause of it."

    "We don't know yet, Lucius" Dumbledore said warningly, and before he could stop Lucius, he had walked over to Ginny and stood in front of her, his dark figure looming over her small frame.

    "Speak, Weasley" he commanded.

    Ginny looked at Dumbldore, her eyes wide with fear and misery. "Tell us, Ginny, he is Draco's father, he has a right to know. From you." Dumbledore probed gently.

    Ginny looked at Lucius. Although Lucius' face was impassive, she thought she saw a flicker of worry in his grey eyes. She looked down and told her story, with much difficulty. By the end, tears were flowing down her face, and she was sobbing very hard.

    Lucius Malfoy looked at her with a mixture of anger and annoyance. He was the sort of man who had no patience with crying females. 

    At this moment, the emergency room was suddenly flung opened, and one by one, the mediwizards came strolling out, their faces weary. "Lucius" said the old mediwizard, who was the head of the team and apparently knew him.

    "If my son dies……" Lucius began again.

    "He will pull through, strong boy you've got there, Lucius. Much stronger than you, if you still remember what happened when you were his age" the mediwizard smiled at Lucius.

     Lucius gave a snort, and tried to push past the mediwizard to go into the emergency room. But someone was faster. Ginny Weasley, hearing what the mediwizard said, rushed past Lucius, Dumbledore, Poppy and Hagrid into the emergency room, with them staring after her.

    Ginny slowed down as she approached the operating table. Draco was still unconscious, and his chest was bandaged. But his facial muscles were more relaxed now, instead of contorted in pain.

    Ginny reached out her hand to push a stray lock of silver-blond from his Draco's colorless face, and she felt fresh tears beginning to sting her eyes again. Suddenly, relief overcome her and she held up her hand to cover her nose and lips, sobbing. Sobbing like she never sobbed before. Sobbing with relief. 

    Lucius Malfoy stood at the door, witnessing the scene. His eyes narrowed viciously. He did not like what he just saw.

Author's Note: Lucius Malfoy is my favourite character. And Jason Issac played him to perfection in Chamber of Secrets. What do you think of this chapter? Are you enjoying my story so far? Some affirmation, please! 


	18. Lucius' Decision

Author's Note: Thank you for all your encouraging reviews. Please keep them coming.

Chapter 18 Lucius' Decision

    Lucius Malfoy stared down at his sleeping son. He had sat himself besides Draco's hospital bed, one hand supporting his chin. His face was impassive, but his thoughts were grim. 

    His son risking his life to save, of all people, a _Weasley_……It……disturbed him. 

    Lucius prided himself on knowning his only son inside out. They share a bond. He had personally see to Draco's education and influence his character formation in his most impressionable teenage years. Surely……

    But, at the back of his mind, Lucius had sensed that Draco wasn't entirely conforming to his influence. Blame on late education, and Narcissa, who, in Draco's earlier years, had totally spoilt the boy. Draco had a soft side to him, a feminine trait probably inherited from Narcissa, although Lucius had tried all means to stamp it out……

    But Lucius could never bring himself to educate Draco in the same way that his father educated him. _Cruciatus curses_, that was what Lucius could remember of his own childhood. Not that he was bitter about it, Malfoys are never known to be compassionate to their kin. But somehow, when Draco was born and Lucius first set eyes on the adorable baby with the silver-blond hair, _that was his son_……Lucius vowed to himself that he would be a harsh, demanding parent, but he would not resort to physical or mental torture to bring across his point.

    Compared to me, and generations of Malfoys before us, Draco must be the happiest Malfoy child ever, Lucius thought half-amusingly. But happy, spoilt children do not make good heirs, they do not have character resilence. 

    He turned his thoughts to the Weasley girl, and he sneered. Weasley! A name which, in his opinion, is a total disgrace to the wizarding world. What with Arthur Weasley and his muggle-loving ways. That man (and his whole family) had no pride whatsoever, consorting with Muggles and Mudbloods. And loving every minute of it. Dirty blood.

    But the Weasley girl had certainly grown up to be a fine young lady, even with her flaming red hair. She was no longer the plain, awkward child that he saw in Flourish & Blotts, when he slipped Tom Riddle's diary in her book pile. Too bad it didn't work out (to bring back Voldemort), the Basilisk didn't manage to kill even one Mudblood in Hogwarts. Pity. Anyway, Lucius had then decided (after he was exposed in front of Dumbledore by Harry Potter about the diary) that perhaps he should lay off murder for a while. Not that he ever committed one himself. Not that he couldn't, but it hadn't be necessary. Money could do almost everything these days. And money was what Lucius Malfoy has plenty of.

    Back to the Weasley girl. Did Draco saved her because he attracted to her, loved her maybe? If it was because of her looks……but Draco could not have been so shallow, could he? Maybe, he was a sixteen year old with raging hormones, after all. But there were plenty of pretty girls, ones that Lucius approve of……

    It must be more than her looks. It is that mysterious factor, something only Draco knows and I would never know, Lucius mused. Lucius Malfoy had never felt for a woman, not even Narcissa, in the truest sense of the word. But Lucius Malfoy was a keen observer of life, and he could cite countless examples where men of great bearing had given up empires just to be with the love of their life. Idiots, in Lucius' opinion, they are. Pig-headed is the word.

    Not his son. Whatever it is, he would never approve of his son with a Weasley. Hell, Malfoys are highborns, and Weasleys……well, in the medieval times, they would be the equivalent of peasants. 

    Lucius stood up. Being swift in decision-making was one of his strongest traits. He wasn't going to wait around to see if his son was in love with the Weasley girl or not. Him saving her was disturbing enough. And he intends to put a stop to all silly teenage puppy love before it festers and corrupts his son.

    He walked firmly to the fireplace at the other end of the hospital wing and seized a fistful of glittering powder from a jar on the wall, and threw it into the flames.

    "I would like a word with……" he began.

Author's Note: Now, what do you think will happen? Make a guess……


	19. Evading Hearts

Author's Note: Thank you for all your encouraging reviews. Please keep them coming.

Chapter 18 Evading Hearts

    Draco Malfoy stirred. He thought he heard a familiar voice, his father's voice……_Father, are you there? Where am I?_

    Then it struck him. Knockturn Alley. Virginia. Running away. Pain. Sky. And then darkness.

    _I saved her, I wonder if she is alright?_

    Father is talking to someone. Draco closed his eyes and tried to concentrate what his father was saying, but a searing pain suddenly shot through his body, and his concentration was broken. _Merlin, that really hurts_, he moaned.

    The talking seemed to have stopped. Draco sensed someone walking briskly towards him. The pain had subsided a little, and Draco slowly open his eyes. "Father," he called weakly.

    "Draco" acknowledged Lucius.

    "I have notified your mother by owl of your condition, and she should arrive to Hogwarts tomorrow. Pity she could not apparate here……" Lucius began slowly, one hand reaching out to Draco, helping him to sit up.

    "Father……" 

    Lucius stepped back to look at Draco. The color was coming back to Draco's cheeks. He wasn't too worried, however, about his son's condition. The old mediwizard from St. Mungo's was truly the best mediwizard in Europe. 

    "I heard you injured yourself trying to save the Weasley girl from MacNair." Lucius's eyes were boring intently down on Draco.

    "I……" Draco tried to explain but Lucius waved his hand.

    "The Weasley girl is a fine-looking young lady. However, there are countless beautiful women in the world that are more worthy to be associated with the Malfoy name. Weasleys do not fall into that category." It was a final statement. Draco understood what his father meant.

    "I, I don't like her……" Draco started again, trying to redeem himself, but then he saw the contradiction.

    If Virginia somehow had not mattered to him, would he recklessly save her like this? He had, for the first time in his life, panicked for someone……Virginia's life……when he saw her being held captive by MacNair. If it had another Hogwarts' student, Draco, in all sense, would not have cared. Let he or she be taken captive, especially if the student is a half-blood or mudblood. 

    Draco looked down. He didn't want to meet his father's eyes.

    "Mother!" said Draco irritably. He loved his mother, but the way she was fussing over him was too much. He was sixteen years old, for Salazar's sake.

    Narcissa had came bursting into the Hospital Wing (in a manner very much like Lucis, only more subtle) when she had news that her beloved son was hurt. She had been enjoying herself in the wizards' fasion capital of the world, Paris, before her trip was abruptly cut short by Lucius' letter by owl. 

    "Lucius" said Narcissa. "Those people have to be thrown into Azkanban." 

    "I will see to that" said Lucius softly, his gaze fixed at Draco. "Since Draco is obviously out of danger, we should be returning to the Manor. I have other businesses to see to this morning."

    Narcissa looked at Lucius reproachfully, but she knew better than to argue. Afterall, Lucius was up all night with Draco, and he needed rest. She sighed and kissed Draco on the forehead. "Take care, darling, I will be in touch with Madam Pomfrey on your progress. Owl me if you lack anything."

    Draco nodded. Inwardly he had already started making a mental list of the goodies he will asked from his indulgent mother. But not now, not in front of Lucius, though.

    He watched as his parents leave the Hospital Wing. 

    "What were you doing with Malfoy!" Ron shrieked at the breakfast table (For a boy, he shrieked pretty well.)

    Ginny had not spoken to anyone since the incident at Knockturn Alley yesterday. It had been very late when she left the emergency room in the Hospital Wing. By the time she returned to the Gryffindor common room, everyone was in bed. Unknown to her, the ever wise Professor Dumbldore had instructed Hermione to prevent Ron and Harry from looking for Ginny. "She isn't ready to answer questions" explained Dumbledore to Hermione, who nodded understandingly, although she herself was dying to know what happened.

    But by the time Ginny came down for breakfast at the Great Hall, she found herself being interrogated not only by Ron or Harry, but the whole school. Everyone wants to know what happened. Apparently, the teachers had not told the students. No one wanted breakfast anymore, they were all crowding around the Gryffindor table, nearly suffocating one another, Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws & Slytherins as each tried to get a word in to Ginny. 

    Ginny stared at the hundred pairs of eyes around her. She felt a knot in her stomach. It didn't help that she was painfully shy to begin with. _If it had been Malfoy, she thought, he would be relishing all the attention right now._

    "Students! I would urge you to leave Ginny Weasley alone for the time being. She needs to have her breakfast."  The Headmaster's voice came from the door of the Great Hall. Everyone turned their heads towards the Headmaster, and then, mercifully for Ginny, scattered back reluctantly to their respective tables.

    "What happened?" Harry urged Ginny in a low voice. He was geninuely concerned about her, but Ginny shook her head. "I, I cannot say now. Not yet." Ginny slowly begin to eat her porridge, although her eyes were staring into blank space. She felt very confused. Harry nodded, "Later then." 

    "But Ginny…" Ron piped up, and then Seamus added in another word, and then the whole Gryffindor table was suddenly on Ginny again.

    Ginny stared at them helplessly. She made up her mind. Suddenly she stood up and said firmly "Excuse me" before walking out of the Great Hall. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. The Hospital Wing. To see Draco Malfoy.

Author's Note: Next chapter will be coming up shortly. Leave me a review, please.


	20. A Wizard's Debt

Author's Note: I hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 20 A Wizard's Debt

    Ginny pushed open the door to Hospital Wing. She hesistated for a while before going in. What was she supposed to say to Draco Malfoy? She wanted to see him so badly, had so much to say to him after their ordeal, but at the sametime, she felt she would not know what to say when she saw him.

    She heard Madam Pomfrey's voice. "There you go, Mister Malfoy. It wasn't so bad, was it? The injection would accelerate the healing of the wound. I'll give you another one in the evening."

    Poppy drew back the curtains and saw Ginny standing by the door. "It looks like you have a vistor, Mister Malfoy."

    Madam Pomfrey stepped aside and for the first time since their ordeal, Ginny and Draco came face to face with each other.

    The feeling was almost ethereal, for both of them. Ginny stared at Draco, he looked paler than usual, but he looked _alright_. That was most important to Ginny. Draco's expression didn't gave his thoughts away, but when he saw Ginny, alive and well, somehow, a wave of relief washed over him.

    None of them moved. "Well Ginny, what's that you have with you? A present for Mister Malfoy?" Poppy smiled and then said "I leave you two here for a while" and walked off.

    Ginny approached Draco's bed. She turned her gaze from him and put down a present on his side table, before turning back and saying "Hi" softly.

    "Hi" replied Draco. He felt awkward. Being tongue-tied was not familiar to him. But somehow……

    "Thank you for saving me" Ginny said directly, taking a chair beside the bed. He smirked inwardly. Thank Merlin for Gryffindoric straightforwardness.

    "You're welcome." That wasn't typical of Draco, and he could see Ginny's cute eyebrows rose in amazement. But at this moment he couldn't think of a better answer.

    "Why?" Ginny said hesistatingly.

    "Why did I save you? Because I thought that, for a change, I should be the heroic one instead of Saint Potter. Imagine the headlines."

    Ginny stared at him. An evasive answer, but what could you expect from a Slytherin?

    Do you really expect him to say that he saved you because he cared for you? It would be really sweet to hear from him, but Ginny did not ever hope for that. Although the thought did cross her mind, but Malfoy had hurt her before……

    Perhaps it was true, just to play hero. Perhaps it was just an instinctive assistance rendered from one wizard to another. Perhaps Malfoy did have some good in him. But to hope he saved her because he loved her? Ginny dared not hope for that, although in the deep recesses of her heart, she wished……

    "Well, I…I am deeply grateful." 

    Draco looked at her. She looked really beautiful, but there was something more. After the Gala Ball, after he had hurt her, she had grown up. She still had that streak of vulnerability that Draco was initially drawn to, but now, it was coupled with a blend of maturity. She was growing up. And Draco suddenly found that very, very attractive.

    Draco suddenly straightened himself purposefully, and brought his face close to hers. He felt Ginny tensed up slightly. "It was not for nothing, Virginia. You owe me one. You owe me a _Wizard's Debt_."

    "And you know what that means." He withdrew his face, a satisfactory smile on his lips, his hands crossed over his chest.

    Silence. 

    More silence.

    "Yes" Ginny said finally. "What do you want?"

    "I haven't thought about it." Draco said airily. Then, he smiled wickedly "What do you want me to ask of you, _Virgin_-nia Weasley?"

    Ginny turned pink. "Don't you dare" she said, too quickly, before she could think of a more witty retort.

    Draco smirked. Ginny stared at him. "You would never……" she began.

    "Not now. No need to, when there is still ample supply." 

    Still the same, conceited, arrogant Slytherin prat, Ginny thought. But inspite of herself, she felt rather hurt by Draco's remark. _Silly me……_

    Draco was tempted to say "And I won't ask you for galleons, either Weasley" but decided to hold back his tongue.

    "Draco, can I ask you something? Why did you say you cannot die?" 

    "When?"

    "When you were injured."

    Draco looked at Ginny in amusement. Should he share that with her? Maybe he should. It wasn't such a big deal anyway. "Because Virginia, I refuse to die in peace without inheriting the Malfoy fortune first. _No way_."

    Ginny rolled her eyes. Draco Malfoy sounded serious. "Is that what pulled you through? The old medi-wizard who treated you said you are very strong. I guess that's where you drew your strength from. _From the galleons in Gringotts_" She finished with a deadpan voice.

    "Virginia, how aptly put. I could not have said it better myself." Draco said teasingly.

    "I thought it should be the people you cared for. Your family or the one you loved." Ginny mused.

    Draco looked at her, startled. His mind went back to that instant, when he felt the darkness pulling at him. What made him come back into the light, to life. Was it really the Malfoy fortune (although that was an imporant aspect), or was it because he could not bear to let go of life, let go of someone……

    Suddenly, Madam Pomfrey appeared. "Mister Malfoy, your housemates are here to see you."

    "Well, I……I better be going." Ginny got up. Draco looked at Madam Pomfrey in irritation, as if she had just interrupted something.

    He turned back on Ginny and saw she looked rather sad. Ginny pushed the chair against the side table and said "Take care, Draco. And, thank you."

    Draco bit his lip. "Bye." And as an afterthought, added, "This is between you and me only. Aside from the teachers, of course. What happened at Knockturn Alley." And Ginny saw his grey eyes bore determindly into hers.

    Ginny Weasley walked along the corridor of Hogwarts castle. The episode with Malfoy left her feeling rather empty inside. Disappointed, maybe?

    She climbed through the portrait hold into the Gryffindor common room. She didn't have classes until about an hour later. Surprisingly, Rom and Hermione were there. It seemed that they had been waiting for her.

    "Now, can you please tell us what happened?" Ron started firing away. "Dumbledore won't tell us anything. What's with you and Malfoy? You had us all worried……and where did you go after breakfast……"

    "I'm alive and well, Ron. That's all it matters right?" Ginny went up to her brother and gave him a reassuringly hug.

    "But Ginny……" Ron protested.

    "What happened is between us only, Malfoy and myself. And there's nothing much to tell, alright? Please, Ron?" Ginny looked at her brother pleadingly. 

    "I think we should respect her decision, Ron. And she's right, what matters is that Ginny is well, and with us." Harry came up from behind her. 

    Ginny turned and smiled at Harry. Harry beamed at her. _Dear Harry_, thank you. What would she do without him?

    Ron stared at Harry, flabbergasted. 

    Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, I guess, Ron, you should leave it to rest. Gin, come here." Hermione smiled and stretched out her arms, and Ginny ran over and gave her a bear hug, almost knocking the wind out of Hermione.

    Ron and Harry jumped in, and the four Gryffindors were interlock in a tight embrace, laughing. They were the best of friends, they had one another, and it was _all that matters_.

    At the Hospital Wing……   

    Draco Malfoy unwrapped the present from Ginny. It was a scarf, knitted from very unique colored wool, silver. Hanging from the scarf was a note that said "_I made this specially for you a while back, and was planning to give it to you the day after the Gala Ball. I never had the chance to. Hope you like it. Ginny_"

Author's Note: A review, please, if it's not too much to ask for. Thank you.


	21. The Simmering Cauldron of Jealousy

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. Here's more. By the way, _Midnight Quidditch_ is an idea from "horseface", and I would very strongly recommend you to read his/her story. It is a masterpiece. Brillant. It's called "For I am a Wicked Child". I have other stories in my "favourite stories" too! They are all great!

Chapter 21 The Simmering Cauldron of Jealousy

    Ginny visited Draco almost everyday. It was easy for her to do so, as she had to come to the Hospital Wing for her nursing chores with Poppy.

    She read the Daily Prophet to him, and they played Wizards' chess. Ginny brought him butterbeer and shared her Honeyduke sweets with him. Draco in turn, shared the truffles his mother had owled him, much to Ginny's delight, as she had never tasted more delectable sweets.

    Draco enjoyed Ginny's companionship very much. Although Blaise and his gang of Slytherins visited him every now and then, it was standard Slytherin fare compared to Ginny's visitations. All they did was to form a crowd around his bed, as if it was "Slytherin Common Room The Second". Blaise would boast to him and the Slytherin gang of her latest admirer, a student from Durmstrang, who happened to come from a very prominent Bulgarian wizarding family, while Crabbe and Goyle talked endlessly about food, (and Crabbe of Mandy Brocklehurst, the Ravenclaw whom he got paired up at the Gala Ball and were now an offical couple).

    Ginny was different. Draco found that she cared enough to make an effort to talk about topics he liked, and do the activities that he was interested in. She found out that he likes Astronomy and brought the latest Astronomy books and charts from the library to him. He had a crave for meringues one afternoon and she sneaked down to the school kitchen, coming back with a kitchen cloth bundle full of piping hot chocolate and lemon meringues.

    And they talked. Draco told Ginny about Malfoy Manor and its grandeur, while Ginny spoke warmly of her home at the Burrow and her brothers, especially her favourite brother Bill. Draco told Ginny about his adventures with the Slytherins, how they sneaked out after dark once or twice to play _Midnight Quidditch_. And Ginny would listen attentively and shared his excitement.

    Somehow, that only deepened his guilt about how he had treated her. He wanted badly to apologize to her, to tell her how he really enjoyed her company. And how beautiful & amazing she was. 

    But the words would always failed him. Perhaps it was the Malfoy pride. And quite often, he sensed that she was keeping a emotional distance from him, even though she comes in everyday, chatting cheerily with him.

    Draco hoped he would not have to be discharged from the Hospital Wing so soon.

    During her vistations, Ginny deliberately steered clear of a few topics that would made them feel awkward, like why he was at Knockturn Alley that fateful day, or the night of the Gala Ball. Instinctively, she felt that if Draco wanted to share with her, then he would. But Draco never did, and Ginny left it at that. 

    To Ginny, not knowning too much about Draco Malfoy was a way of protecting herself from falling for him again. She never really did forgive or forget how he had hurt her. How he had ignored her, and not offered any explaination when all she longed was for him to just speak to her, to tell her why.

    Although she was visting him everyday, it was only out of obligation, _because he saved me_, Ginny told herself. I would not go down the love path again. First Tom Riddle, then Draco Malfoy. "_Malfoys are not capable of true love, that's just the way they are" Hermione's words echoed in Ginny head._ No, I will never go down that path again, Ginny vowed to herself, although her eyes were suddenly filled with tears again.

    Ginny was scouring the Gryffindor common room, looking for a game which she thought Draco might find interesting. Harry came up behind her and decided to scare her. "Boo!" he said.

    Ginny jumped. "Oh Harry, you scared me!" and she started pounding him with a cushion.

    "Looking for something?" he enquired.

    "Uh huh, have you seen the Jumping Pumpkin game box?" 

    "No, why?"

    "Never mind, I guess we couldn't play it today. I have to think of something else." Ginny muttered, more to herself than to Harry.

    "Visiting Malfoy again?" Harry asked softly, his voice queer.

    Ginny looked at Harry. "Yes" she said rather awkwardly.

    "You two have been spending a lot of time together." Harry stated.

    "Well……" 

    "I, I just…well, I don't want to see you hurt again, Gin"

    "I know, Harry. I'll be careful. After what happened. I'll be very careful. Anyway, he'll be discharged soon……it just that……"

    "He saved you, didn't he?"

    Ginny was startled. Perhaps it wasn't that difficult to guess.

    "You, you don't have to feel obliged to him, Ginny" Harry looked down, and shifted his feet.

    "Harry, I don't, and I'm not" Ginny replied firmly.

    Draco Malfoy came back to classes two weeks later. He looked pale and had lost quite a bit of weight. But he had recovered, and Madam Pomfrey had proclaimed him well enough to return to classes although he still had to come back to her for daily checkups.

    His first day went well until late evening, when he realised he had not seen Ginny all day. It suddenly occurred to him that he missed her already.

    He was on his way to the Great Hall for dinner with the Slytherin gang, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

    He turned and saw Ginny with the Dream Team, laughing at what seems to be a joke that Ron is cracking. Ginny was walking beside Harry, and Harry was patting her head affectionately.

    A sudden wave of jealousy hit Draco Malfoy like never before. He turned his head and continued walking into the Great Hall, towards the Slytherin table.

    Food appeared as soon as the students sat down. Draco started on his meal, but he was stealing glances at the Gryffindor table every now and then. By the end of the second course, he had lost his appetite. Ginny and the Dream Team were chatting animatedly with one another, especially with the damned Boy-Who-Lived. She acted, as if……as if he never existed. Why had she not come to look for him all day? She knew he came back today. He forced down a few more bits, before getting up and leaving the Great Hall.

    "Where you going, Malfoy?" asked Goyle, his mouth full of lamb roast.

    Draco ignored him and continued walking out of the Great Hall, into the dark corridors, back to the Prefect dormitory, and flung himself on his bed.

    Dobby the House Elf was there, apparently dusting the room furniture when he saw Draco. He gave a yelp, for even after so many years after leaving the Malfoy household, he could still sense his former Young Master's mood any day. And knew if he did not clear out soon, he would suffer a most merciless kick. He gave another small yelp, and quickly scurried away.

    Draco hardly noticed the House Elf. Inwardly, he was consumed with jealousy. _Damn Potter…_

Author's Note: What do you think? Let me know?


	22. Pride & Prejudice

**Author's Note:** I know, it has been ages since I last updated. I was working on my other story, though. Hope you like it!

Chapter 22 Pride & Prejudice

Draco Malfoy's jealous streak turned him into a green-eye monster the next day. His mood was very foul, and anyone who crossed his path pretty much suffered a lashing from him. The Slytherins kept out of his way, not quite knowing the matter with him, but knew better than to ask.

After his last class for the day, he decided to go to the Library to finish up his Defense against the Dark Arts homework. Courtesy of Professor Moody. It was one of his best subjects (of course, the amount of books that Father has on Dark Arts, how could it not be) so he did not mind it so much. Unlike Transfiguration, which Draco had always found it challenging. No, difficult is more like it. Damn McGonagall.

When he reached the Library, he saw Ginny working at a table. He grimaced, but then decided to pretend he had not seen her. Malfoy pride. People acknowledge him, and not the other way around. He found himself a table tucked in the far corner of the Library and started on his homework.

He was about halfway through when he heard someone approaching. He looked up into the smiling face of Ginny Weasley.

"Hi!" she said in a low friendly whisper, and drew up a chair to sit beside him, plopping her book bag down on his table with a soft thud. "How are you feeling?"

Draco debated how to react to her. He decided to give her the cold shoulder. "Well and alive" he replied shortly. 

Ginny didn't seem to notice his reply. "Of course you are. Have you gone for your daily checkup with Poppy today?

"Nope"

"You really should, you haven't recovered fully, you know." 

Silence.

"How are classes so far?" Ginny looked at Draco, suddenly realizing his cold attitude. Something is wrong, she thought.

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Draco? Is anything wrong?" 

"No. And I'm extremely busy right now." Draco turned his eyes from her and looked down on his parchment, and started writing with his quill again. 

Ginny sat there, stunned, as if she had been slapped. She was at a loss for words. Slowly, she stood up from the table and muttered a "Sorry if I've disturbed you" before a tear trickled down her apple-colored cheek.

She turned and started walking out of the Library. Draco looked up at Ginny's receding back, instantly regretting what he'd done. 

Draco walked in silence towards the Slytherin common room. He knew he was being petty & jealous. But he could not suppress the green-eyed monster that chose to appear at that moment when he saw Potter and Ginny so close together. More than that, he realized that it was back to Potter and the Dream Team for Ginny, and not him anymore once he was out of the Hospital Wing. Especially Potter, who, had so evidently migrated his affections from that Ravenclaw Seeker, Cho Chang, to Virginia Weasley. _His __Virginia_. 

     He was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't see Blaise Zabini by the fireplace, sitting on the thick velvet couch. She looked up at him and gave a sly smile "A galleon for your thought, Malfoy? We Zabinis could afford it you know."

     "No need to flaunt your wealth, Zabini" snapped Draco irritably. 

     "My, aren't we touchy?" 

     Draco looked at Blaise. She was certainly very beautiful. Long ebony hair cascading down her back in soft curls, cobalt-blue eyes and a peaches-and-cream complexion. Draco knew Blaise was extremely sought-after in school. But her sadistic tendencies, so very like Draco himself, tend to make Draco extremely wary of her. For Draco knew Blaise, and could see that beyond her lovely outer image, was an extremely ruthless young lady. _Blaise _

     "What do you know, Zabini" he asked, narrowing his eyes._ Somehow, Blaise always make him feel defensive_.

     "Well, for starters, I do know you are lusting after the little Weasley. Ginny, I believe her name is."

     "I question your upbringing, Blaise. Your choice of language is rather dirty, don't you think?" Draco shot back.

     "Well, you can hardly blame me. I can't say you love her, after all. You merely fancy her, and wanted to own her, just like you wanted a new broomstick."

     "You sound as if it bothers you, Blaise. Why, are you jealous? Because I never lust after you, unlike some idiots……"

     "Jealous? Over you, _Draco?__ You must be joking."_ And Blaise let out a short bark of laughter.

     "But then again" she added "I do feel slightly jealous that no man has ever risked his life for me, unlike little Ginny Weasley. You know, I do feel rather jealous." And Blaise gave another sly smile.

      Draco suddenly felt tired. He knew he shouldn't let Blaise get under his skin. How in the world she knows, Draco didn't care.

     "Your little secret is safe with me, though. Promise I won't tell a soul" and she solemnly crossed her heart, before flashing Draco her most charming, yet demeaning smile at the same time.

     And Father actually wanted me to start a relationship with Blaise, thought Draco. I probably get murdered in my sleep if I actually marry her……

     Draco replied "Get a life Blaise. Even better, really get some bloke to throw his life away for you, just make sure he doesn't survive to regret it"

     With that, Draco stormed up the stairs to his room, leaving behind a nonchalant Blaise, who called after him "Are you regretting?" 

**Author's Note:** Care to give a review? Thanks!


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